


An Ancient Bond.

by InuVampireChan



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: M/M, Male Sheik (Legend of Zelda), More like I'm twisting Sheikah culture, Not Beta Read, Sheik (Legend of Zelda) is a Separate Character, Sheikah Culture, Sheikah Slate, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:27:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 70,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28059954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InuVampireChan/pseuds/InuVampireChan
Summary: Link breaks the Sheikah slate and following Impa's guidance seeks out the advice of one of his ancestors.-"Authentication failed!""What does that mean?" There was a bad sinking feeling about that in Link's gut. One that only got worse the more Purah tried to fight with it and didn't succeed. The tablet just kept repeating the same words at her much to her own growing frustration. A feeling he was definitely sharing with her at this point."Mm... I assume it's some kind of login system for this. See, a few functions of the Sheikah slate were locked out to us because of credentials. Like we weren't high enough on it's list of valuable users to see everything."
Relationships: Link/Sheik (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 58





	1. Prologue.

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: Sheik is male, his own person, and I completely fuck with his origins in Ocarina of Time. If you don't like that please don't read this! 
> 
> Hello! This fic is 90% complete, I'm in the final stages and editing the finished chapters. This is a retelling of BOTW with Sheik sent to aid Link. I'm playing fast and loose with Sheikah magic and technology which is incredibly fun. I'm also screwing with their history a bit so you have been warned! 
> 
> This fic was just for my own amusement, I enjoyed writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Ancient Sheikah Technology wasn't as easy to understand as they had hoped it would be. It was for this very reason that everything with the guardians went as south as it had. At least, that was how he understood it from Purah. A lack of understanding of the Sheikah and what they could do lead to not being prepared for the possibility of Ganon taking control of the very weapons they were prepared to use against him. They wanted so badly for an ultimate weapon they didn't consider the chance that the weapon was beyond their control. 

With each memory that Link failed to get back he just questioned more and more what they were thinking, why they were doing it and why he got involved. It feels as if they were missing something in the story that all the others in history had. Yet he couldn't remember the stories so how was he supposed to know what it was? 

He tried to let the thought go, tried to continue on his journey, and Link was doing well. He gathered what he needed, helped people along the way, explored Hyrule and found shrines. He didn't free any of the Divine Beast yet but he was preparing himself for that. It felt like he was getting closer to working his way up to them. Right up until he dropped the Sheikah slate down the mountain pass and it stopped working. They had told him it was waterproof, apparently no one had tested chucking one down a mountain. 

Without the slate Link had to make the long walk back to Hateno Village to Purah who, with her vast and we'll gifted talents in this, managed to get the slate back up and running. The problem though was what the screen displayed when they finally managed to turn it on. 

"Authentication failed!"

"What does that mean?" There was a bad sinking feeling about that in Link's gut. One that only got worse the more Purah tried to fight with it and didn't succeed. The tablet just kept repeating the same words at her much to her own growing frustration. A feeling he was definitely sharing with her at this point. 

"Mm... I assume it's some kind of login system for this. See, a few functions of the Sheikah slate were locked out to us because of credentials. Like we weren't high enough on it's list of valuable users to see everything." He thought that was what the update features were for, apparently he was wrong and that was just Purah messing with the Sheikah slate. 

"How'd you guys login to these the first time?" 

"Didn't have to." She shook her head and looked up to Link. "The ones we found and used were already logged in. The ones that weren't we just stored away. That's why we had so few of them. And, after the calamity, only this one remained." So it was bad news all around today for him. "Here," the tablet was pressed back into his hands and Link slipped it into the case attached to his belt. "Go to Impa, she might have an idea or be able to try something I can't as the current head of our tribe." It was more of an idea than he had honestly so Link nodded to the instructions and departed Hateno Village for Kakariko. 

Unlike where he was before, Kakariko wasn't that far away. It took him less time to get there than it usually did too as he pushed his horse as hard as Blueberry was willing to go. Without the tablet he wasn't going to be able to complete his mission and if he couldn't complete it everyone who was counting on him was doomed. Link couldn't fail, the Princess needed him to free her from her torment. 

He left the horse at the entrance to Kakariko Village and made his way through, waving to Pikango and Cado as he passed them to head into the main house. Taking the steps two at a time Link pauses a moment to wave to Paya who ducks and buries her face in her hands, and pushes the door to Impa’s house open. Link slipped between the large doors and they clicked shut behind him. As he stepped forward into the room Impa raised her head up, hat jingaling as she did and slipping briefly to one side. She caught it, adjusted it back on and grinned when she spotted him. 

“Link, welcome back. How is your adventure going dear?” 

“Well, it was going. I found a few more shrines, explored up toward Death Mountain and then--” he reached down to his belt and yanked the Sheikah slate out from it’s holder. As he finishes speaking he steps up toward Impa and holds it out toward her. “A Keese knocked this from by hand and I dropped it down the Mountain Pass. It broke. Purah tried to fix it but couldn’t.” 

Impa blinked and tapped the screen a few times. It lit up as it had for Purah, as if it was looking for something and then clicked back off with the same message.

"Authentication failed!"

“She couldn’t figure out what it meant or how to get around it. Without the Sheikah slate I won’t be able to progress. She hoped you might have an idea. At this point... I’ll try anything.”

“Hmm…” The slate was passed back to him and Link slid it into the holder at his side once more. Impa stroked her chin a few times, tilted her head and then sat up firmer as her hands fell into her lap. “Nope!” 

Link actually deflated, a sigh falling from his lips as he dropped his head forward. Great, not only had he failed Hyrule but he failed in the most humiliating way possible. Not a failure of person or ability but one of pure stupidity. Defeated by technology. 

“However,” he picks his head up, just enough to glance at her. “Link, do you know the story of the Hero of Time? Course not, you have no memories!” The name didn’t even sound familiar to him, at least with some people he got the vague sense he knew them. “The Hero of Time was one of the first people to defeat the Calamity. Ganondorf, as they called him back then, was a person. As the story goes he didn’t have a Sheikah slate like you did, just the Master Sword and a guide.” 

“A guide?”

Impa nodded once. “A Sheikah at that too. As the legend goes the Hero of Time after defeating the Calamity went and became a wanderer, while the Sheikah went to fulfil his duty to the Royal family of Hyrule.” There definitely sounded like there were many parts to this story that he was missing. “The Hero of Time is buried beneath a tree in the Lost Woods, have you been there?” 

Without his Sheikah slate he couldn’t pull up a map and look but given the name it sounded like that place where he kept getting turned around when he tried to enter. He never made it through, he gave up part way. He simply nods as his answer to her, Impa doesn’t need to know the details. 

“I want you to go back there but don’t try to go through. Just tell the forest before you go in what you’re looking for and the Korok will guide the way. Seeking advice from our ancestors is perhaps the best we can ask for in this moment. And Link?” He blinks, making sure she knows she has his attention. “If you cannot find the grave of the Hero of Time, perhaps consider praying for Farore in the springs.” 

There was no way he was finding that spring without a map though, the Lost Woods he could spot if he simply climbed a tree and looked for a mass amount of fog. Still, he gives a nod of his head and then offers Impa a bow. “Thank you for your assistance, Lady Impa.” 

Link had no memories before he woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection, he couldn’t even remember who he was or what it was that he was doing. Not even how old he was or where it was that he had come from. He was just existing. Which meant he had no idea what Impa was sending him for. Other than to look for a grave and pray to some man who was called the Hero of Time. The legend she told him was so few in details that he couldn't begin to imagine what this person would do for him. If a dead man could even do anything. 

It wasn’t overly helpful information. It was blind praying for a miracle.

On top of that there currently wasn’t any place that he could go to read about the Hero of Time either. He assumed things like that would be documented in the castle library and currently the castle was occupied by the Calamity. Any other books outside the castle would either be destroyed from time passed, humans or the monsters that currently roamed the world. He was at a loss with this. 

Impa gave him very vague information. A man, who was called the Hero of Time, defeated human Ganon which they now call the Calamity Ganon and was certainly not human, with the aid of a Sheikah. So what was she expecting him to get by heading to a grave? He had a hard time believing that just praying to a tombstone was going to help him get past the security system on the Sheikah Slate. 

Link sighed and leaned forward, bumping his head against Blueberry's neck. “Alright, guess we’re going. Not like I have any better ideas.” The horse bumped it’s muzzle against the side of his head and Link smiled a bit before pulling back. He swung himself up onto Blueberry's back and grasped the reigns before taking off. 

Finding the Lost Woods was just as easy as he thought it would be. All Link needed to do was climb a cliff and look out over Hyrule before spotting the mass amount of fog in the distance. He had to leave Blueberry at the end of the bridge leading into the forest before making his way toward the fog and trees. 

Link stopped beside the torches just beyond the entrance and looked around. Impa told him to not wander blindly, to announce himself and his intentions and allow the Korok to guide him. He’d met the Korok, a lot of them, but he’s not entirely sure if he’d trust them to not mess with him. 

“Hello?” Link glanced around and took a step forward, stopping when the fog started to gather denser at his feet. "My name is Link, I need to see the Hero of Time? Please, I broke the Sheikah slate." His hands clenched briefly at his side before he forced himself to relax. "I can't beat the Calamity without it. Impa sent me here." He had to do this, he had to win. "She said to trust the Korok. So I am." 

The forest seemed to suddenly get quiet around him and though it might be Link's imagination he swore the fog started to clear a bit too. Not enough for him to see though but enough to no longer seem like a threat. And then… he heard it. As subtle as he heard it, it was definitely there. Music. Quiet, and gentle, a sound he's never heard before. He couldn't even say for certain what instrument it was, but it wasn't at all like what Kass played. 

Link turned his body sharply in the direction of the sound of the music and the volume seemed to increase. He jerked, turned away, and the sound decreased again for sure. As if it was saying "no not that way". 

Trust the Korok. 

They were guiding him with music. 

A smile spread on his face, Link turned in the direction of the music and took off running. Unlike the many times he'd been in the Lost Woods before there didn't seem to be that threat of getting turned around and lost again. Of being reset and kicked out with the sound of laughter. His heart didn't pound in fear but rather in excitement. The music guided him and he followed with blind faith and hope in the Korok.

It didn't fail him. When the forest finally broke and the music stopped he found himself in a clearing with just a tree and a rock. Link glanced around for anything else before making his way forward and stopping in front of the stone. He knelt down and brushed a gloved hand across the stone but found no writing. He wondered, why, someone who was labeled as a hero would be buried in the Lost Woods and not somewhere such as the Castle. When Impa spoke of the story, what of it she told him, she seemed to speak with pride. That was not the tale of someone who gets buried in remote, unreachable places. 

It seemed weird but he had placed his faith in the Korok and they responded. This had to be the Hero of Time, so he takes a seat and rests his hands in his lap. 

"My name is Link. I'm going to tell you a wild story but if you are really my Ancestor, please hear me out." He takes a breath, collects his thoughts and then starts at the Shrine of Resurrection. Even the forest seems to listen as he speaks, the silence of a place that usually seems so full of laughter and the sound of bells seeming odd to him. He tries not to let it throw him off and focuses simply on the stone, telling it everything from Zelda's voice and Impa's fears of him not remembering anything to Purah playing a joke on him. He doesn't leave anything out for fear even the slightest detail might be important. By the time he reaches the end of the story he's exhausted and night had definitely fallen by the drop in temperature. Link shuffles more in on himself, attempting to get some warmth, and sits in the silence.

It feels as if it carries on forever, as if the silence is judging his story, and then something moves. Except, it's not really something, but rather a small light with wings. It brings something with it, the subtle sound of music . Not like what guided him here but more playful. Like a tune you would expect children to play. Link listens to the sound as he follows the small light, trying not to move his body too quickly for fear of startling it. The light gets closer and it takes Link a second to recognize the fairies he's seen over the land simply because of the difference in color. The fairies he finds at the Fairy Fountains were always pink but this one was such a light shade of blue it almost looked white. The fairy flashes, vanishes, and as the light clears Link finds himself staring at a body on the ground. 

His heart stops and skips several times in his chest before starting again. As he climbs to his feet in shock something catches the corner of his gaze and Link stills once more. He waits a few seconds, watching the stranger on the ground before turning to face the tombstone. Between him and the rock he had been telling his entire life story to was a person and yet not really. Link could see him, could see through him even, yet despite the fact he knew he was looking at a face he couldn’t remember what the face looked like the moment he blinked. 

And then they spoke. “I was once called the Hero of Time. A savior of Hyrule that served the people only to be forgotten to the wills of time. I sacrificed my childhood twice over to protect them in the Princess's name and though I have my regrets, I have come to terms with how I lived my life." Their voice is hollow and seems to echo inside his head. "I wasn’t the only one that made sacrifices.” Their head moves toward the body that appeared and Link briefly lets his own gaze wander toward it before returning to the spirit. “Impa told you I had a guide, she wasn’t wrong in her tale though how it ended for him is. If Sheik can help you I’m uncertain... but I know him and I know he will try.” Their head moves back to look at Link and the spirit takes a step toward him. Link forces himself to remain still though his heart still excellerates in his chest. “Link, Hero of the Wild, take care of my friend. I owe him my life several times over.” 

And just as quickly as they came he was alone again. No light, no show, just gone and Link couldn’t remember a single detail about them. The only evidence he hadn’t hallucinated the entire thing was the body, Sheik apparently, laying on the ground right where he had appeared. 

He should do something. Start a fire? Would the Korok let him start a fire? They needed warmth though and he needed to make sure that the guy wasn’t hurt. Fire it was then. Link avoided the stranger on the ground and moved about the small clearing, gathering whatever sticks and pieces of wood that he could find. Eventually through his searching he managed to gather enough for a small fire and used the flint he had to light it. The warmth was nice and he let himself suck it up for a few minutes. Once he could feel his fingers again he made his way over to Sheik. 

The first thing he wanted to do was check for a pulse. Not that he… doubted the spirit but the guy hadn’t moved in about an hour and Link considered that a justifiable reason to be concerned. So Link picked Sheik’s right arm up and turned his wrist over in his hand. There were so many bandages wrapped around it that he couldn’t actually find the guy's pulse. He was tempted to look for the one in his neck but that meant moving the cowl and that felt like an invasion of privacy. 

At least taking bandages off probably wasn’t an invasion of privacy so that’s what he decided to settle with. Link searched the guy's hand for the end of the bandage and couldn’t find it. Frowning he started to push the end of the body suit up and see if it perhaps started up there. How did he even get his clothes on? The outfit was familiar and yet not, he’d seen versions of it at the Sheikah store in Kakariko, this one seemed like an outdated version. Just as tight as the ones he’s seen, though. Finally feeling like he was getting somewhere he started tugging on the bandage. 

That was when he found himself flipped over onto his back, head smacking against the grass covered ground and little rocks. Link gasped and blinked, looking up into the brightest pair of red eyes he’s ever seen. He remembered being told that the Sheikah used to have red eyes, that it was an incredibly rare trait for a generation long lost. His were an incredibly intoxicating color though. 

Sheik was frowning, Link noticed, watching the crease in his eyebrows and the confusion that seemed to cloud those eyes he couldn't seem to take his gaze from. The Dirk to his throat held no real pressure, like the rest of the Sheikah’s body that attempted to hold him down. They looked him over, again and again, only seeming to get more lost in confusion the longer he sat on top of Link. After looking into his eyes for an entire minute he slowly pulled back and the Dirk vanished. Actually vanished somewhere and the hand that held it moved to hold the side of his head. 

He seemed to be in pain and Link sat up slowly in an attempt not to startle him. It didn’t work considering the way the Sheikah’s red gaze snapped over to him and narrowed warrily. Still they swayed and that was enough for Link to forego his sense of self-preservation and grasp Sheik’s elbow to steady him. They didn’t flinch from his touch and he considered that a good enough sign his life was safe for now. 

“My name’s Link.” This got a reaction, surprise given the way his eyes widened. “You’re Sheik, right?” Hesitation, a question in his gaze that Link couldn’t read before he got a single nod. “I asked the Hero of Time for help, he said you might be able to assist me. Here, let me help you up.” 

Link climbed out from beneath the other and stood to his feet, holding a hand out. Sheik watched him a moment before slowly letting go of his head and accepting the help. They got him to his feet and Link was pleased to see he was slowly regaining his sense of balance. He had no idea where they pulled the guy from but he moved like he’d been asleep for as long as Link was. Sheik tested his wrists, rolling them around, spinning weapons through his fingers that he just pulled from somewhere in his body suit. He shifted his shoulders, stretched his legs and then turned to Link. 

He finally spoke and his voice sounded as soft as he looked yet as deadly as he was sure the Sheikah was. “My name is Sheik as you seem to know, the last of the Sheikah Warriors. You said the Hero sent me to aid you?” 

The grave didn’t seem to startle the man as much as Link expected it would. He kept the conversation he had with the Hero to himself and the other didn’t ask, just stood at the foot of the grave with an unreadable expression on his face. He handled the death of a friend with a skill that Link could only compare to a soldier. It honestly made him feel bad for the other. He gave him his time, picking flowers and food he found on the ground in the small clearing. When Sheik seemed ready for him to approach Link made his way back over and sat the items he collected at the base of the tombstone. 

It wasn’t much of an offering but he had little else and somehow he didn’t think the Hero would mind the lack of gold he had for an offering. Link still arranged it as nicely as he could and stood back up to face Sheik. 

Sheik watched the grave still as he spoke. “Where are we?” 

“The Lost Woods, the Korok lead me here with a song. I probably won’t be able to find my way out without them.”

Sheik shook his head and turned to leave the clearing. “I can show you the way.” That only gave him more questions than answered. “We’ll discuss the problems you have once we’re out of here, you don’t want to get lost in the woods, it’s best to pay attention.” Despite the others back being to him he still nodded his head and quietly followed along. This time there was no music but the forest seemed to welcome the Sheikah as if he was an old friend. 

With the time he had he let himself take a better look at the man. He was as tall as Link, perhaps with Link having only an inch on him. He definitely had more muscle that Link did though, if he had genuinely wanted to pin Link down in that clearing before he had no doubt the other would have managed it one handed. The clothes definitely were what he assumed they were, an outdated style of the Sheikah garb sold in Kakariko but now that he was looking at it Link could see how often this outfit was clearly patched up. There were quite a bit of stitchings just along the back and parts of it were already coming undone, he could see it just behind the other's hair.

Which he found interesting. The Sheikah he met had silver hair but Sheik’s was blonde. A very light blonde but still not quite silver. It also carried down to his waist. 

They were finally out of the forest and Link’s horse trotted up to him, head bumping against his shoulder. Sheik watched him before looking away quickly when he realized Link spotted him. Laughing softly he pat the horses neck and moved away to stand beside the other. “There’s a stable not that far from here, we can rest there till morning and then talk. I haven’t slept in a while.” Probably nearly two days, he could use a good rest. He only got a nod in response to his question but it was better than nothing. 

Link took the horses reigns and guided them down the path. The stablehand took the horse from him and Link asked for two beds. Or well, he would have, if Sheik didn’t shake his head to the stable owner Kish. “Just one, I don’t need a bed.” Link blinked and turned to question the Sheikah but he was already walking away and back outside.

“That a Sheikah?” Link turned back to Kish and nodded his head. “Don’t usually see any of them this far from Kakariko. I’ve also never seen one with red eyes. Bit creepy if you ask me. Anyway, one bed for ya Link, we’ll wake you in the morn’.” 

He was tempted to go find Sheik, the slightest bit worried the other would be gone in the morning, but he was far to tired and there was this sinking feeling that perhaps the other needed time to himself. Link would if he was Sheik. So he nodded to Kish and headed over to the bed offered to him and sat everything he had on him beside it before crawling into the blankets and passing out. 

Morning came quickly and Link was woken by Kish with breakfast made by Shamae, one of the stable employees. He ate down the food as he readied up for the day, briefly asking Kish if he or the employee’s had seen Sheik. They had not which would have been alarming if he hadn’t noticed earlier Sheik seemed uncomfortable around people. He slipped his sword onto his back and nodded to Kish before making his way out. 

Link looked around the small camp before making his way toward the road. They were right, Sheik wasn’t out here and that sinking feeling he had from last night was only getting worse. His lips pressed together and he clutched at his belt on his waist. What if he had left him? He wouldn’t be the first to look down on Link, think he wasn’t good enough for this task. After all, look how badly he had messed up? The Sheikah slate, which he needed to complete his job, was broken and he couldn’t save any of the Divine Beasts or get into the shrines without it. 

So if he didn’t come back, if Link didn’t get help, what would happen to everyone? It would be his fault, he would fail again like they said he did the first time. 

There was a soft nearly silent thud next to him and Link whipped his head to the side, blinking at Sheik’s bright red eyes and pinched expression. He takes a small step forward, right hand seeming to reach toward Link before falling back to his side and their body freezing. “It’s morning. We should talk to reach the root of what the Hero asked me to do.” 

Right to business then, alright, Link could handle that. He could really use a distraction right now. He nods his head once and motions for Sheik to join him over beneath the trees outside the stables. He follows him and together they take a seat while Link starts the tale that he had already once before told to a tombstone. Sheik for his part is silent the entire time, his red eyes focused on Link intently and absorbing every piece of information he’s given. He seems to absorb the fact that time had passed a lot for him easily and if he hadn’t seen how the other took the death of his friend he would have been more concerned. 

By the end of the story, Link breaking the Sheikah slate, Sheik holds his hand out for said device which Link passes over easily. He flips it over a few times, pokes at the screen and then tilts his head when the symbol of the Sheikah tribe appears on the screen. It repeats what it had done with Impa, as if it was scanning her, and then much to his dismay the same message appears. 

"Authentication failed!"

“Interesting. Why did it speak in Hylian?” Link frowned and shot the other a confused look. “You said it was Sheikah technology. If the Sheikah invented technology the main language of it should be the language of the Sheikah. But, this thing spoke in Hylian. Which means it was perhaps made by the Sheikah tribe but it was made for the Hyrulian Royal Family. You said this belonged to the Princess?” Link nodded. “That explains why she could use it then. And yet… you couldn’t. Unless…” He seemed to come to some sort of understanding that Link couldn’t. 

He flips the tablet over and lays his hand flat against the back of it. After a few seconds he turns it over one more time to look at the screen. “It’s technology but I can feel magic inside of it too. You said this thing is used to access other points right? Could you show me one?” 

“We could head to one of the towers, the shrines are harder to find.” Link climbed up to his feet and Sheik joined him, passing the tablet back which he slipped into the holder at his waist. “The closest tower is the Woodland Tower, I already activated it and it should be easy to reach, there’s not too many enemies that way.” Link points in the distance and Sheik turns, looking upward toward the Tower. With a direction to head the other started walking and Link moved to keep up. As he reached the others side and walked with him Link risked a glance over at their face. Still unreadable, still covered. 

“So, the Hero of Time said you were his guide.” 

Sheik glanced over toward him before away again. “I was. My destiny was to teach him the songs he needed to progress in his quest and made sure he didn’t get lost on the path. I did both and when I had to I patched him up after a rather dangerous fight.” 

That answered why the Hero told him that he owed the Sheikah his life. “Don’t take this personally but if he’s dead how are you--” alive, how was Sheik alive to aid Link on his quest now. Thankfully the question didn’t seem to offend the other, if anything he appeared to expect it. 

“I was in a place where time does not pass, not until someone is born to take my place.” Which only gave him more questions again. “And, with the fall of the Sheikah, it appears that would not have been possible. The Hero must have made a deal with the Goddesses.” Link didn’t think Sheik was talking to him anymore, he appeared to have lost himself in thought once more. 

He decided to give the other some form of hope. “The Sheikah exist still, though from my understanding the bloodline has been--um, muddled down? You’re only the second one I’ve seen with red eyes.” 

“Hmm.” 

They’d reached the path to the tower finally and Sheik took the route away from the enemies. He climbed over things easily and with a flexibility to him Link could only ever hope to possess. He made his own way over after Sheik, following the other like a shadow and before long they were at the base of the Tower with a swamp in between them. Without the Sheikah Slate he was at a bit of a disadvantage and as he was about to communicate that to Sheik he realized the other had already vanished. Link twisted around, looking for the man and eventually spotted him balancing himself on top of a plank. He looked to the swamp, the tower and then crouched down like a cat. The Sheikah pushed off, flipped in the air and caught himself on the ladder of the tower. 

Link was fairly more than just impressed, and there was no way he could do that either. Sheik looked up to Link and motioned with his head toward where he had just lept from. “Jump, I’ll catch you.” 

He has the up most confidence in Sheik's ability to do that. Himself? Not so much. “Yeah, about that--”

“Trust me.” 

He wanted to, he really did because Sheik was his last hope for winning. Pressing his lips together he took a deep breath and then moved toward the plank that Sheik had jumped from. He climbed up onto it, fear coating his veins as the plank wobbled dangerously. It took him longer than it had Sheik to get his balance and when he finally managed to he let out a breath he had been holding. 

“You can’t tense up.” Easier said than done but he did make an effort to relax his body. “Find your center of gravity, crouch down and then push off with your legs. I won’t let you fall.” Despite how unsure he felt, Link still nodded his head to the other's words. He glanced up, made sure he was in line with Sheik, and then crouched down. Like he had been instructed Link pushed himself off from the wood with his legs, the plank falling into the mud. Reaching his hand out toward Sheik he felt his palm slap against the others bandaged covered hand that closed tightly around his own and stopped his descent. His body swayed forward, smacked against the side of the tower, but did not hit the mud. 

“Grab on! I can’t hold you forever.” A quick nod and he got his footing on the side of the tower before grabbing the ladder with his hands. Together they climbed up to the top, dragging themselves over the edge of the ledge. Sheik waited for him to collect his breath before making their way together to the terminal in the middle. 

He walked around the odd glowing thing a few times before stopping in front of it and grasping the side of it. “So, you said when you used the tower it gave you a map of the area, right?” Link nodded from where he stood beside the Sheikah. “And some gave you a tool that the Sheikah slate used?” Another nod. “I bet it uses magic to collect data on the area. See, even if the towers used each other to do that it wouldn’t just give you data on the one area. If they worked off of one another they’d all have the same information. If you have technology and magic working together however, the magic can gather

the data from the surrounding area and transport it back to the tower.” 

“Can I ask a question?” Sheik turned to glance over at him and Link tilted his head. “You keep saying magic but I’ve never seen the Sheikah I know use magic.” 

Sheik’s face made that complicated half-expression again, where his eyebrows pinched up in response to something he didn’t understand. He didn’t ask though, instead turning back to the terminal as he explained. “You said you had amnesia so I imagine a lot of Hyrule's history you haven't learned or been told. The Sheikah are known as the Shadow Tribe or the Shadows of the Hyrule Royal Family. We were their guards, their protectors, and worked in the shadows. Never seen and never heard.” 

He pushed away from the terminal and turned to Link, holding his hand out. Link retrieved the Sheikah slate and handed it over to Sheik. “We were their greatest weapon and their greatest fear.” He turned back to the terminal and slid it into place. “I told you I was the last of the Sheikah Warriors, remember? That was by no means an exaggeration but an actual title.” The tablet spun around, locked in place, and connected to the tower. 

“The Sheikah specialize in an assortment of magic, the base of which is the shadows we’re named for. We can vanish within them, bend them to our will and even control them. It was a skill that required years of practice and education, I only knew one woman to ever be good enough to serve directly beneath the Royal Family without hiding her presence.” He did something to the tablet and it projected a screen that filled with characters Link couldn’t read. “That woman was my mother and the protector of the Princess.” 

It was a lot of information to process and Link had a feeling the story wasn’t a happy one. “Can I ask what happened to her?” 

Sheik’s fingers paused on the screen, a moment of hesitation, before he resumed scrolling through whatever he was looking at. “Given how many years passed I assume she’s dead.” That was a fair answer, he assumed that Sheik didn’t know the fate of a lot of people he once knew. “I found something by the way, I think it’s some sort of log in system. I wonder if it’ll recognize me as a Sheikah.” The tablet spoke and this time it most certainly wasn’t speaking Hylian. 

As if following instructions Sheik moved away to the glowing spot on the tower that Link usually teleported onto when using the tablet. He stood on top of it, waited, and just like when Link teleported he lit up blue and vanished. It didn’t last long enough for Link to panic, a moment later Sheik reappeared and stepped up to the tablet that now displayed a visual of the Sheikah. 

The tablet spoke and Link looked up to Sheik. “Well?” 

“Hold on, let me see if I can--” he tapped the screen a few times and the language changed, repeating what it had said in Hylian. 

"Sheikah main family DNA detected, identity unknown. Please confirm identity for the system!"

Sheik tapped something on the screen and spoke. “My name is Sheik, Sheikah Warrior and son of Impa.” 

"DNA being tested against Tribe Leader Impa’s, please hold for results."

They waited as told and the tablet made some sort of loading screen, the Sheikah tribe symbol fading and appearing over and over. Link sighed impatiently and was tempted to start asking Sheik more questions when it spoke. 

"DNA confirmed. Welcome Sheik, son of Impa. The Sheikah Slate is now online, distilling rune."

Like all the times before the tower lit up and dropped something onto the tablet that downloaded the information. When it was done the tablet spun out and popped out. Sheik took it and turned it around, tilting his head at the screen. “Well, it seemed to have started you over. The only bit of the map loaded is the area we’re standing in.” Which meant none of his runes were in there either, but at least he had the Sheikah Slate again. It wouldn't take him long to catch back up. Link slid it into the belt at his waist. 

“I should give the good news to Impa, and Purah, do you--want to come with me to Kakariko?” He got the slate back, but he didn’t like the idea of leaving Sheik or Sheik leaving him. It was a horrible feeling. He hadn’t known the other long but despite the single day Sheik had been back in the world he’s had nothing but terrible knews thrust upon him. Adventuring with Link might not be the big turn around the other wanted but at least it had to be better than being alone, right? “You could help me with this Sheikah tech stuff, you seem to be understanding it a lot more than me.” 

He got a small chuckle at that. It was the first time Link had heard Sheik laugh and he found it was a rather pleasant sound. “It’s magic mixed with technology. Once you understand that there’s just a small learning curve. That’s all in Sheikah of course.” 

Of course. Why wouldn’t it be easy to read?

“I’ll come, the Hero of Time sent me to aid you. I doubt my quest is done yet.” That--he wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that. It made him sound like he was just another task for the other to complete and that he was bound to the will of the Hero of Time. What was their relationship? Was he really just the Hero’s guide? 

Still he nods because he couldn’t find it in him to ask the question. “Well, we should start now, it’ll take a day or so to reach Kakariko Village.” Link headed over to the ladder and blinked as Sheik ran right past him and just--jumped. Jump right off of the tower as if he was jumping down from a tree. Link snapped his head up and watched as the Sheikah landed on a bridge beneath, jumped down from there, avoiding the enemies, and made his way across the broken wooden platforms to the grass on the other side. 

He was going to do that a lot wasn’t he? Shaking his head Link carefully climbed down and made his way across to where Sheik was waiting for him. 

The first part of the journey was spent in silence. There wasn’t much time left in the day after how long Sheik spent working with the slate so they only made it a part of the way to Kakariko before stopping for the night. Link got the fire going as Sheik took it upon himself to hunt. He brought back a good number of fish and knelt down beside the fire to get them set up to roast over it. 

Link grabbed his share and Sheik sat down against a tree, one of his Dirk’s in his hand along with some kind of rock. It looked like he was sharpening the weapon which despite how many Link used was not something he knew how to do. Maybe his weapons wouldn’t break as much as they did. “Your job is to free the Champion’s spirits from the Divine Beasts, right?” Link nodded and took a bite of the fish. “I don’t know what a Divine Beast is but it doesn’t sound too different from what the Hero of Time did.”

He swallowed his food and looked up. “What was his job?” 

“The Hero of Time had to wake the six sages by freeing different temples under Ganon’s control. There were seven sages in total but the last sage was already aware of her task. The sages protected the Sacred Realm which safe guarded the Triforce.” Though a lot of that made no sense to him, he nodded anyway. “I couldn’t go into the temples with him, I wonder if it will be the same here.” 

“Wait, why not?” That made no sense, he was his guide right? Why couldn’t the guide go into the temples? 

Sheik sighed and sat the Dirk down into his lap. “He asked me that once too. But, he had his fate and I had mine. He needed to conquer the temples alone and I had to guide him to them.” He didn’t seem eager to explain more on that so Link didn’t press, but like any time he talked with Sheik he found himself full of more questions than answers. 

He’s not sure if Sheik slept but Link definitely passed out at some point next to the fire. When he woke up Sheik was in the same place that he had left him, the Dirk now gone along with the stone. Link pushed himself up off of the ground and shook his head, blinking the sleep from his gaze. Sheik took notice of the fact he was awake and stood up, holding a hand out to Link. “Guess we should continue.” 

Link ate the leftover fish as they walked, now realizing he never saw Sheik eat either, and figured now was a good enough time to keep talking than ever. “So, what’s with the cowl?” 

“Old Sheikah tradition. It used to be against the rules to show our faces to anyone. We were just supposed to be shadows, remember?” 

He did remember that part of the story and he still found it as curious as ever. It reminded him a bit of the Yiga, how they never showed their own faces either. “Who broke the tradition?” Since he said old Link assumed it changed. 

“My mother actually, the Great Impa. When she became high enough under the King’s court she changed some of the older traditions and this was one. Though she still wore a cowl of her own, it never covered her face.” Instinctively he reached his own hand up and gripped the fabric of the cowl tightly, pulling it further up his face as if he could hide inside it. “But when she raised me to aid the Hero of Time she thought it best if I followed the older traditions. Since I needed to be the very definition of a shadow. It was his journey and destiny, not mine. I wasn’t supposed to exist.” 

That--sounded horrifying to Link. Erasing your own existence for the better of Hyrule. Who makes their own child do that? He opened his mouth but found he couldn’t say anything to that. What should he say? Sorry you had no childhood? That actually reminded him of something the Hero of Time said. That he sacrificed his childhood twice over and that Sheik sacrificed something too. Was he implying the other's own childhood? 

It didn’t feel right to ask, so he didn’t. 

They reached Kakariko the next day, walking through the mountain pass toward the village. Sheik seemed a bit tense at his side but otherwise didn’t voice anything. He stopped at the gate to the town and looked up, gaze focused on the arch and the words etched into it. Then he moved again, passing Link and walking into the village. “The Kakariko I knew was in a similar place yet different from this, we must have a tendency for building in canyons.” 

“I like Kakariko, it’s a nice village and Impa is kind.” Link smiles and takes Sheik’s elbow gently, guiding him toward the correct house with a slow enough pace he could still look around. 

“Impa, hm…” Though his tone was cold and void of emotions his eyes seemed to hold a bit more sadness to them. They reached the house and the guards Dorian and Cado looked to Link, smiled and then stopped the moment they glanced at Sheik. 

“Cado, Dorian, this is my friend Sheik. We need to see Impa, can you let us through?” 

“Sheik? Your friend is named Sheik?” Dorian frowned and didn’t move a single bit. 

“Dorian, his eyes are red.” Cado stated, moving closer to the other. “Pure red.” 

“Hmm. And where, Master Link, did you pick this fellow up?” 

Link laughed a bit and rubbed the back of his neck, not at all comfortable answering that question to the two guards. He looked back at Sheik who was starring impassively behind them at the house as if the two blocking their path didn’t exist at all. As if feeling Link’s gaze though he looked over to him, let out a long sigh, and then rolled his neck to look at the guards. 

It happened so fast. Quick enough he couldn't even say it happened in the blink of an eye. Sheik’s hand hit his side, pushed him away from them and the Sheikah Warrior moved. He vanished the moment the two guards made a move for him, the sound of a pop hitting the ground and causing a flash of white light. He appeared behind them, hit Cado on the back causing the man to collapse like a puppet and then ducked when Dorian slashed at him with his spear. He hit the older man's wrist, twisted the weapon from him and knocked him to the ground with a swing of his foot beneath theres. Sprawled across the ground Sheik pointed the tip of the spear to the old man's neck. 

“Yiga! He’s a Yiga!” 

Another crease in Sheik’s brows, one of the few expressions Link has managed to read perfectly and when Dorian attempted to get up he pressed the spear harder to the man’s neck. “No. I’m Sheik, a Sheikah Warrior. You are just a poor excuse for a Sheikah.” That was definitely not helping at all. 

Link rushed to his feet and grabbed Sheik’s wrist, attempting to pull the spear back from Dorian’s neck. “Sheik, stop!” 

He didn’t move but his arm did lose some of the tension, relenting to Link’s tugging. But as Dorian started to get back up, clearly with the intention to take the ‘Yiga’ out, Sheik moved slightly in front of Link and pressed the weapon against the man’s body once more. Much to Link’s relief though the doors to Impa’s house opened in that moment and the old woman came wandering out. 

“What is all this racket? Dorian, Cado, what are you doing?” 

“Lady Impa! Link brought this Yiga Clan member into our village! Disguised as one of our own!” Sheik seemed to frown again at that accusation and pressed the spear harder to the man’s neck despite Link still tugging on his arm. 

Desperate he looked up at Impa who narrowed her gaze not at Link but at Sheik, taking in his uniform before his face. Like the rest of them her gaze found his red eyes and he could see the moment the color registered in her mind. “I see. Boy, I am the Leader of the Sheikah Tribe, Impa. Who are you.” 

Just like that the spear was removed from Dorian’s neck and tossed down beside the man’s body though Sheik didn’t remove himself from in front of Link. He lifted his head toward Impa, met her gaze head on and with what Link could only assume was pride, answered her. “My name is Sheik, a Sheikah Warrior.” 

“Not a Yiga, then?” Impa was laughing inside Link could tell but Sheik only seemed to scowl at that. “I assume there’s more to you than just that, come inside and tell me away from the nosey and prying ears of my guards.” 

Dorian helped Cado to his feet and the two of them looked up at Impa startled. “But Lady Impa--” 

“Did I stutter? Let the boy through, he is of no threat to me.” With no choice but to listen to her they stood to the side and Sheik followed Impa up the steps and into the house with Link behind him. Once inside the room the doors shut behind them and Paya helped Impa back up onto her cushion. Once she was settled Impa motioned to the two cushions Paya provided for them to sit. Sheik kelt with a nimble grace and Link attempted the same but ended up plopping down onto his own. 

Impa chuckled and motioned to Paya who sat beside her grandmother. “Sheik, this is my granddaughter Paya, I assume her being here will not trouble you.” Sheik regarded Paya with a cold curiously before shaking his head. “Then please, introduce yourself again without the filter.” 

“My name is Sheik, I did not lie. I was named that by my mother as a reminder of our heritage, since I was the last Sheikah Warrior to come from our clan.” Sheik was named then as a shortened version of the word Sheikah to carry the entire history of his tribe with him. He was a legacy. This information didn’t seem to surprise Impa but Link could see Paya’s jaw drop before she snapped it shut with a look from Impa. 

“Continue boy.” 

“Link told me you sent him to the grave of the Hero of Time to seek his aid. From my understanding of Link’s story the Hero of Time answered and his response to Link was me.” Sheik glanced over to Link for confirmation and he nodded. A small hum came from Impa and she tilted her head a bit as she regarded Sheik in a different light. 

“Then from the story you are the Hero’s guide, correct?” A single nod and Paya looked up to her Grandmother. 

“But Gr-Grandmother the Hero of Time’s s-story ended years a-g-go, recorded down by th-the Princess to have taken pl-place over ten--ten--ten thousand years ago. There’s no way… if the bo-books are correct the Sheikah Gu-Guide became the guardian of the Princess and di-died.” She gave Sheik an apologetic look before burying her face in her hands. Impa remained quiet and the silence was eventually broken by Sheik’s quiet and pondering question. 

“Who told you that?” 

He was looking at his lap, hands curled into fists on top of his thighs. Impa made an inquiring sound which Sheik translated quite quickly. “That I became the Princess’s Shadow, who told you that?” 

“Before the castle was taken over I had privy to the books in the library. There, amongst thousands of other Hyrule Legends was a book written down about the Hero of Time’s story. A forgotten tale as he was not remembered for the Hero he was. You can tell a tale but not everyone would believe it, of course. The story was told from the Queen’s perspective, a third party in the journey. It didn’t give much information on the Hero’s journey, just a general understanding of what he was supposed to do and that he had a guide.” Impa nodded to herself as if remembering the book before speaking again. “The story said the Sheikah guide became the guard to the Queen.” 

“The book is wrong.” It’s so blunt and harsh that Link actually looks to Sheik in concern. He shook his head and lifted his gaze from his hands to Impa. “After the battle with Ganon the Hero of Time had to return the Sword of Evil’s Bane to its resting place in the Temple of Time. With the Princess of Destiny the two returned time to it’s place before Ganon took over. This is why the Hero of Time wasn’t remembered by the people that he saved, only a handful of those selected by the Goddesses were allowed to remember the time that did not come to pass.” 

“The Hero himself, the Princess, and I assume you?” Sheik’s gaze met Link’s own and he gave a single nod of his head. “Then, what happened to you?” 

Sheik turned away from Link and closed his eyes briefly before opening them back up. “I decided to take my mothers place and free her from her destiny. Since I was from the same bloodline I could do it. There was nothing left for me anyway.” 

He said his entire destiny was to help the Hero of Time, he was raised to do it, suddenly not having that he could see how it would affect him mentally. But that still left Link with a question. “Sheik, what was your mothers task?” 

Sheik didn’t reply and the longer the silence went on Link was starting to think he wouldn’t get a reply at all. Until Impa spoke up. “If the book is right about this part his mother should have been the Great Impa who served as the Princess’s guard. The book said after hiding the Princess away it became her task to serve as the Sage to the Shadow Temple. I assume that is what you are talking about?” 

Again the other was quiet but considering how willing he was to correct them on things they got wrong, this one had to be true. Which, Impa got the same impression of considering how she nodded satisfied with herself. “I can imagine she wasn’t very impressed with that, as the Sage’s would remember the timeline that did not come to pass too.” 

“She said I was a child hanging onto frivolous things. That the Tribe Leader had no right to act in such a way. But, the Princess was always more important to her.” Their relationship sounded complicated and Link had no idea where to start in picking that apart. A child trying to save their mother who loved another child who wasn’t even their own more. From the way he talked about being raised as the perfect Shadow he wondered if this Great Impa valued the Sheikah Tribe and heritage more than her family. Why else would you name your child in reflection of a legacy? 

Link looked back up to Impa when she leaned back and her hat chimed. “A mothers love is a complicated thing, even more so during a time of war. Perhaps though she knew your destiny would come to be this. We cannot predict what goes through the sages minds after all.” Sheik didn’t look convinced but he didn’t argue either. “Sheik, raise your head and look at me.” 

Posture straightened, Sheik sat up fully and lifted his gaze until his eyes connected with Impa’s. “You are one of our ancestors, the greatest of our time and a Sheikah Warrior, probably the last decent one in your opinion.” A slow blink but Link got the impression he was amused by the way his posture laxed itself. “If you wish the Sheikah Tribe of the current generation would be lucky to call you one of our own. And I, as the current Tribe Leader, would be lucky to call you my Grandson.” 

Silence lapsed among them for a long moment, Sheik simply watching Impa as if waiting for her to suddenly claim this was all a joke. She didn’t and she gave him time to process and think this through. Then a great sigh fell from his lips and he leaned forward in on himself, giving the smallest nod he had ever seen. “I would be honored, Lady Impa.” 

“Fantastic!” Impa slapped her knee and grinned brightly. “Welcome to the Tribe, Sheik, Survivor of the Sheikah and Sheikah Warrior.” 

They stood and moved to the side as Impa called for the guards to join them and reintroduced Sheik as “my long lost Grandson” which only seemed to alarm Cado and Dorian who moments ago had considered killing him. They were tasked with telling the others that Sheik was not a Yiga and was in fact family. 

Paya made her way up to Sheik and offered him a bow that the other returned with just as much grace. “My n-name is P-Paya! We’ll be family now! If y-you need an-ything let me know!” 

“Thank you, Lady Paya.” 

“L-La-Lady?” There she went, burying her face in her hands and running off. Link watched her go in amusement before turning back to Sheik. 

“I made her cry the first time we met. You did better than me.” This seemed to amuse Sheik. Impa waved them back over once she was done talking and asked to see the Sheikah slate which Link handed over. 

“Well, everything on it’s gone, I’m afraid We can’t do anything about that. Perhaps we’ll find another way to return your memories Link, maybe after Princess Zelda is saved. Where do you intend on going first?” 

“Hmm I hadn’t really thought that through.” He looked down at the Sheikah slate before back up to Impa. “I was hoping I could take Sheik along with me too. He can work this thing easier than me, says it’s Sheikah magic mixed with technology.” 

“That does seem to be the case. The magic of the Sheikah tribe has all but vanished, though I assume you can use it, Sheik? That’s what you did out there that alarmed the guards so much?” 

He shook his head briefly and reached into his suit, pulling out a small nut. “That was just a Deku Nut. I’m not nearly as good at Sheikah magic as my mother was, but I can wield it easier with my Lyre. Unfortunately, it seems it did not cross over the border with me.” 

Fighting with music, Link honestly had no idea how that would work but assumed Sheik would make it look as graceful as the rest of him. 

“Was there anything special about the Lyre?” 

Again, Sheik shook his head. “Impa just gave it to me, it had the Eye of Truth engraved onto it but other than that it held no magical properties. I put a bit of my own magic into it when stringing it but that was about it.” 

Pleased with this Impa nodded her head. “I’ll see if I can find another in the old storage houses, for now you might want to update your clothes. Link can show you where the armory is.” Sheik looked down at his clothes, slid his hands down his sides before stilling himself and nodding. He turned to look at Link and with a single nod the two of them left Impa's house. 

The clothing store wasn't too far away and Link showed Sheik inside. He didn't even glance at the clothes on the right, instantly drawn over to the Sheikah garb hanging up. Claree beamed over at Link and then widened her eyes when she spotted Sheik looking the clothes over. "Oh Mister! Those would look absolutely stunning on you! Are you the one Dorian said is Impa's Grandson? Please, I'll even give you a discount, have at it!"

"I don't need it, I'll take them all though." He took them down and even grabbed an extra set. Link attempted to calculate numbers in his head and what was in his wallet. He didn't think he had enough. 

"Oh well, then that'll be three thousand six hundred rupees!" Link was just about ready to have a heart attack when Sheik reached inside his outfit and pulled out a pouch. He handed her four-thousand and took the clothes, leaving behind a very happy Claree and a baffled Link. "Oh Link, your friend is so handsome! But I have to admit I've never seen an outfit like that before. Even the outfit we made before this one wasn't like that. Where did he come from?" 

"Um… I just met him while traveling." It wasn't entirely a lie and thankfully Claree shrugged and accepted his answer. He thanked her for her help and turned away, heading after Sheik to where he saw the other disappear at. Link didn't get far before he was stopped by Claree's sister Lasli.

"Sorry, Link! I showed him to a place he could change at and I can't let you in. That would be indecent." He was sure his face lit up as she winked at him, he could feel the blush spreading much to Lasli's amusement. Huffing, he turned away from her and settled for waiting for Sheik to return. 

It didn't take long. Considering he already wore clothes like it Link assumed getting dressed in these was something he mastered. The first time Link tried putting them on he got stuck and gave up, preferring the Hylian Trousers, tunic and hood. The hood was actually his favorite. Sheik brought more life to the outfit than he had ever seen, definitely not in himself. It was similar to what he had before and actually Link was sure he had taken parts of his old uniform and altered the ones he just bought. The clothes now lacked a good majority of the wraps that he had on previously, he still wore the cowl though and Link was sure it was the same one from the other outfit, he could see the stitching in it. 

Wrapped around his head was the head wrap from before, hair braided down the back and instead of tied off it seemed to be weighted down by something. The bandages no longer covered the entirety of his hands, just his fingers and up his arms as Sheik wore a pair of fingerless gloves. It was the knee high shoes that definitely drew the most attention though, they looked good on him where on Link they had only managed to reach his thighs and seemed less elegant.

The Dirk's now rested at his hips and Link could see them better. They were engraved with the Sheikah symbol. He wondered, considering this, if they were handmade. He was willing to bet if they weren't made by Sheik himself, they were made by his mother. 

"You're staring, does it look ridiculous?" Startled Link snapped his gaze up to Sheik's eyes. With the cowl around his neck instead of up his face and just the thin mask he could actually see that Sheik was frowning perhaps in embarrassment, looking away from Link.

"No." Link found his voice and smiled at Sheik. "You look good, clean even." That got him a glare and Link laughed brightly. "Your hair was covered in leaves and falling out from its braid from laying on the forest floor, it looks nice now. What's with the thing at the end though?" 

"It's a weight." He pulled his hair over his shoulder and held it in his hand. "It'll keep my hair from flying in my face when I fight." That made actually a lot of sense and was pretty smart. 

Suddenly Link smiled and looked up at Sheik in excitement. "So, that means you're coming with me?" 

"I'm a Sheikah Warrior, if Hyrule is in trouble I am bound by oath to assist. So yes, I'll come with you." 

They ate dinner, slept at the Inn and when morning broke they gathered outside Impa's house. Link had taken a bath and washed his clothes, much to his own relief, scrubbing the smell of horse and monsters off of him. Sheik looked even more clean and put together than he did before so Link assumed he had shared the same plan. 

"Did you decide where you wanted to go?" 

He hadn't actually, Link had just been letting himself wander and stumble across anything. "I was thinking we could go wherever the wind guides us." 

Sheik didn't seem amused. "What are our choices?" 

This he could actually answer. "There are four divine beasts. One with the Zora, one with the Goron, one with the Gerudo and finally one with the Rito." 

"I only know three of those species, what is a Rito?" 

"The Rito didn't exist when you were alive, young Sheik." Their heads turned and looked down at Impa. Paya stood beside her, watchful, and tucked against Impa's chest seemed to be a golden instrument. It was as pretty as it was elegant, a golden shine to it that showed it clearly wasn't paint. Engraved at the bottom was the Sheikah symbol that had whisp's that almost looked like clouds branching out from it. He assumed it was supposed to reflect shadows. "The Rito are a bird tribe, they love music. I'm sure you'll get along with them. Here, I found this in storage." She held the instrument out to Sheik who took it with a gentle grasp. "And those clothes look perfect on you. You're a true Sheikah Warrior." 

Sheik twisted the instrument around and got a good look at it, fingers gentle tracing and plucking at the strings. It made a sound and Sheik smiled. "Thank you, Lady Impa."

"Of course, can't have you going off without your strongest weapon. Sheik, Link, good luck on your journey. May the Goddesses watch over you." 


	2. Zora's Domain.

It's been quiet since they left Kakariko Village. They had a brief conversation about where to go and Sheik suggested checking out the Zora tribe. He sounded more comfortable with those options than the others. To Link it didn't matter either way, he wasn't familiar with any of the places or the tribes. Not for a lack of trying, he had recovered two memories in total and neither one was overly helpful in remembering who he was. He remembered Zelda, being chosen as her knight and her frustrations with not being able to use her magic. But that was it. He didn't remember the Zoras or what their divine beast was. Sheik didn't seem concerned by his lack of memories. It was appreciated as was his direct responses to Link's questions.

Glancing behind him he looked toward Sheik who was observing the sky above them before turning away again. Sometimes he wondered what Sheik was thinking but he could never tell despite his best efforts. Honestly he was sure Sheik liked it that way. Without the mask did his face give away too much? 

Link knew that he was an expressive person, Purah got amusement out of it and whatever weird expressions his face made caused Impa to laugh. 

He tried to dismiss his thoughts by looking for something to do. As he glanced around he spotted what looked like the top of a tower sticking out. He stopped briefly causing Sheik to twist to avoid smacking into him and stand next to him. He followed Link's gaze. "A tower." It lowered a bit and spotted the same monster Link had thought he'd heard. "And what is that?" 

"You don't know? That is a Hinox. I've only taken one of them down, it's not overly difficult though. They have a giant weakness." But the parts they dropped sold for a lot. "Come on, you've been out of the game for so long you're probably a bit rusty." Sheik slowly turned his gaze to Link and arched a perfect blonde eyebrow. 

"If I win you start a fire and cook dinner." 

"Oh, and if I win?" 

Sheik considered this a few moments and pulled the Lyre from his back. "I'll play you a song." It sounded so simple, so different from what anyone would consider a bet. There was no money in it, no high risk, just a simple bet for a song and food. And Link found himself excited for a battle for the first time in a while. He checked his traveler's sword, his Knights shield and his knights bow. He had fifty arrows and experience, he could win this. 

"You're on, Sheikah." 

Sheik vanished from his sight and Link rolled his shoulders before running toward the island settled among the wetlands. When he was within range Link pulled the Sheikah Slate out and loaded up a bomb. He tossed it up and down in his hand a few times before throwing it toward the Hinox. With a tap to the slate the bomb went off and the red Hinox jumped to its feet. This was hardly going to even be a challenge for him. Pulling the bow down from his shoulder he ticked the arrow on it and lined it up. As he lined it up with the monster's eyes and let the arrow go. 

His arrow was cut in half by something silver that connected with the Hinox's eye a moment later. The creature fell to the ground and Sheik appeared in the air, landing up on top of the Hinox's head and yanking his Dirk from it's eye. He spun it around in his hand and slipped it into its holder before jumping back. 

The Hinox leaned forward and grabbed Sheik by the leg, stopping the others retreat as if he was just a tree branch. "Sheik!" Quickly Link notched another arrow on his bow and fired it, aiming for the eye and getting the side of the monster's head instead. It turned on him and used Sheik like a weapon, swinging the Sheikah Warrior at him through the air. Sheik's body connected with his and they rolled across the grass right into the water. 

Link sat up and looked down at Sheik, pressing himself backwards to get up. "Are you alright?" 

Sheik nodded and rubbed the back of his head as he sat up. "We gotta move, it's coming. It had a faster reaction time than I thought. It won't get me again." He sounded so sure and Link actually believed him. 

They broke apart and he ran toward the side while Sheik took for the trees again. He reached for another arrow and took aim, letting it fly through the air and hit its mark. The moment the Hinox was down again clutching its eye he ran forward sword at the ready. He got a good few hits in before rolling away once more, dodging out of the way as the Hinox reached for him. He heard Sheik move above him and three more daggers flew through the air, hitting it in various places in the head. The Hinox, though, was getting clever at this point and covering its eye, they'd have to just hack it down at this point or get sneaky. Link just needed the last hit though. 

With an idea he grinned to himself and shouldered his bow, pulling his sword out once more. With Sheik hitting from long range he was the Hinox's primary focus, he could use that to his advantage. Sheik moved from tree to tree like a pro, bouncing between them even as the Hinox ripped another from the ground. As the other threw Dirk's from the tree lines Link ducked beneathe monster and swung his sword hitting it in the legs. It didn't take long after that, a few good hits in and the Hinox crumbled above him, vanishing into smoke and dropping everything it had. 

Link grinned and sheathed his sword, hands placed on his hips and he looked up at Sheik. "I think I win." 

"Hmm." He jumped down and landed beside Link, reaching his hand out and pulling some guts from Link's hair. He did his best to suppress a shiver. "You used me as bait." 

"You were already acting as bait, I just took advantage of it. And I still won, I got the most hits in and wasn't used as a boomerang." 

"Fair enough." He shrugged his shoulders and reached down, picking up his Dirk's and wiping them on the grass. He slid them into the holders at his thighs and moved away. Link took a moment to collect everything scattered around and store them away in his pack and the arrows in his quiver. "Guess I owe you a song, and I'll still catch dinner if you make the fire." 

Link nodded and grinned up at Sheik. "Guess here's as good a place to make camp as any. I saw a few shrines around too, we could hit them before resting for the night. I'll go do them while you catch dinner?" Link had briefly explained the Shrines to Sheik when he explained the slates use. He'd offered to take Sheik in at some point but the other showed a lack of interest in such a thing. He'd said it was Link's destiny to do them, he had no purpose in entering the trials. Link wasn't going to press it. Maybe sometime he could get the other to try going in with him. 

There were two Shrines in the wetlands. The Daka Tuss Shrine that felt very much like fishing and the Sheh Rata Shrine which took him longer to figure out than he liked. With the two spirit orbs in his belt and more places to warp too he headed back to where he had left Sheik at. Considering how long he was gone for Sheik had already gotten a fire going and the food was laid out. He sat just before the fire plucking at the Lyre in his hands. Sheik looked up when Link entered the area and turned back down to the fire. 

"I made stew. Figured you'd want more than fish after running around so much. Did you get the orbs?" 

"Of course. Sorry it took me so long, some of them are frustrating. Not hard, just frustrating." Sheik nodded and Link plopped down across from him. He shifted around till he got comfortable on the small rocks digging into him and then pulled the bowl of food into his lap, taking a bite. It was good, definitely better than anything he's ever managed to cook. They ate in silence, or rather Link ate and Sheik played with the string of the Lyre, and for once it didn't feel uncomfortable to Link. He finished off his food and sat the bowl aside, sprawling out across the ground with his hands tucked behind his head. 

As the silence dragged on the random note from the Lyre shifted and suddenly a calm and soothing song played out across the night. Link found the tune relaxing and very fitting of Sheik. He must have played it a hundred times over to have it memorized so well. Link let his eyes fall shut and immersed himself in the music, a smile spreading across his face. 

It ended sooner than he would have liked and with a half awake shift on the ground he mumbled out a question to Sheik. "It's a pretty song, does it have a name?"

Another string plucked and Sheik hummed. "The Serenade of Water." He'd ask the story behind it later. 

The plan the next day was just to reach the tower in the distance. If they could do that they'd have made a good amount of progress. Though Link would argue fighting a Hinox was progress, Sheik didn't agree. As they got closer it seemed that this would probably be the easiest tower for them to climb. "Just jump." Sheik said, shrugging as he moved to do so himself. "Even you'll make this." 

So they jumped, grasped into the side of the tower and just like the one before it climbed all the way up. Unlike before though at the top of the tower someone stood off to the side looking down. They had the body of a fish, scales and all, but the shape of a human. It confused Link's brain to look at them. They must have been one of the Zoras that Sheik had described to Link. They made their way to the terminal first and Link popped the slate into it. Like all the others the tower activated and dropped the map update onto the slate. Link took the slate back and busied himself with locating Zora's Domain.

Sheik himself had no problems walking his way right up to the Zora from before, leaning over to look down at whatever captured the Zora's attention before turning to them. "Hello." Was he going to ask for directions? Link slid the slate back into the holder at his waist and made his way over. 

"Woah!" They exclaimed, leaning further over before realizing Sheik was even there. The Zora leaned back, looked between them before clearing his throat. "Excuse me! Yes, you! I am Gruve of the Zora!" 

"I assumed." Sheik promptly replied, looking them over once more. "What brought you up here?" 

"An excellent query indeed!" 

Link being so close to Sheik heard him mumble underneath his breath. "So it's an inherited trait." He wondered what that meant. 

"I, by order of Prince Sidon of Zora's Domain, am searching for a Hylian! Or, I was. But then I fell asleep. I awoke to a loud noise and awful quaking, and now here I am." He looked over the side of the tower again before shuttering and turning to them. "I'd like to get down and be on my way, but I'm simply too high up! I need to figure something out." 

Sheik frowned and Link knew what was coming before he spoke. "You're a Zora. Jump. I've seen some Zora jump from even higher places." 

Gruve gasped and placed his hand over his chest, eyes widening as he leaned away from Sheik. Almost as if he expected the Sheikah to just shove him off. "No, no, no! It's simply too far down, can't you see? I can barely see the water!" He shuttered and Link swore Sheik rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. "Prince Sidon is down at the bridge below, but for some reason I can't seem to catch his attention. But you two! You're a Hylian, yes?" Link nodded while Sheik shook his head, Gruve didn't care. "Well then! My luck is improving!" Ignoring them entirely he turned back to the side of the tower and started waving his arms and shouting. "Prince Sidon! I found one!" He took a deep breath and hollered. "I FOUND A HYLIAN!" 

Sheik clamped his hands over his ears and jerked away from the Zora, glowering at him. When Gruve didn't get a reply he turned back to them and Sheik slowly removed his hands. Did Sheikah have sensitive hearing? "Hmm… Prince Sidon doesn't seem to notice my struggle. Perhaps I should swallow my fears and do as you suggested and jump. Then I could return to him! Alas, he must be worried sick." He stepped up toward the edge, looked down, and for a brief second Link thought he would. But then Gruve jerked back and shook his head. "No. Nope! Can't do it! I'm too high up! I'll more likely meet the gods of the ever after before I ever see Prince Sidon again! Mr. Hylian, Mr. Other Hylian, I must apologize. It will be some time before I can get back to Prince Sidon. Please, you must leave me here and go on ahead." 

Before he could inquire about this Prince Sidon, Sheik grasped his elbow and yanked him away from the Zora. They moved off to the side and Sheik let him go, glaring at the Zora before turning to Link. "I'm tempted to jump down just to show this Zora it's possible. Before I shove him off." He knew the other was tempted to do that. 

"Sheik, behave, he asked for our help." That did nothing to quell the other's irritation it seemed. "I wonder who Prince Sidon is." 

"If he's anything like Princess Ruto was it'll be a test of my patience." Again conversations with Sheik always brought him more questions than answers. "Strictly speaking though the Prince or Princess of the Zora is the next to inherit Zora's Domain. I think they do it by lineage so Prince Sidon should be a descendant of Princess Ruto." Which answered some of his questions at least. Princess Ruto had to have been to the Zora then, what Prince Sidon is now. He nodded a few times and Sheik looked past Link to Gruve. "What do you want to do, Link?"

"Well, we were heading to Zora's Domain right? It's the first Divine Beast you thought we should do. So talking to Prince Sidon would be a good starting point." Sheik nodded and Link turned around to step up to the edge of the tower. He looked down like Gruve had done and then turned to Sheik. "You're sure it would be safe to just… jump?" 

"For a Zora, yes. They can jump quite far. For you? You'll hit the ground we were on moments ago." That was… reassuring. "He said Prince Sidon was on the bridge, you'll have to paraglide down to it." 

"And what about you?" He feared the answer. 

"I'm going to jump." And without waiting for a reply Sheik leaped off of the side of the tower, flipped in the air and as he fell grabbed into one of the tree branches he passed. Using that he flung himself forward and was gone from Link's sight. A sigh fell from his lips and readying his glider he followed off after the other. 

Sheik waited for Link at the entrance to the bridge. He landed next to the other, checked him over and then together they crossed onto the stone walkway. "It's so different from the other bridges I've seen." 

"The Zora make it from special stones at the bottom of the river I think. Despite how many years pass their sense of design doesn't seem to change. The Zora's Domain of my time was a lot like this. Though the Zora themselves have changed." 

"Really?" Link blinked, thought back to Gruve, and then looked to Sheik. "How?" 

"Different colors. The Zora I knew were all similar looking." 

He wanted to ask more, he always had questions for Sheik, but they got interrupted before he could. "Hey! Young ones!" He definitely heard Sheik muttered this time, a clear "another loud one" followed by a sigh. "Up here! Above you!" As one their heads tilted backwards and there indeed above them was another fish looking person. The second they spotted him he jumped down from the pillar he stood on and landed before them. "Pardon me if I may have a moment of your time?" He got a good look at them and his excitement only seemed to grow. "Aha! I knew it! You're a Hylian!" 

He was waiting for Sheik to argue but the other stayed perfectly quiet and let the Zora speak. "Oh, pardon me. I am Sidon, the Zora Prince!" As he said this he swung his arm up, struck a pose and flashed them a grin. With teeth, that looked as sharp as the Dirk's Sheik was so fond of. It was mildly intimidating. "And what are your names?" 

Link offered the Zora a smile in turn and pointed to himself. "I'm Link and this is my traveling companion, Sheik." 

"Link and Sheik! What fantastic names! Hmm, though I can't shake the feeling I've heard the name Link somewhere before. Well, in any case, they're both strong names! To be honest I've been watching you both." Sheik didn't seem surprised at this though it did startle Link. How long had the Zora been following them? "I've seen the way you work. I can tell by how you carry yourselves that you're no ordinary people. Link, Sheik, you two must be strong warriors among the Hylians, correct?" 

At this Link spared Sheik a glance before shrugging. "I suppose?" He was a Knight for the King and Sheik helped defeat the calamity years ago and was now recognized by Impa. No ordinary people could claim that technically speaking. 

"Aha! Just as I suspected!" Sheik was right, these people were loud. "I am a Zora Prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled! Yes! Exquisite! I've been searching for people like you! A man like you too, who carry yourselves with power!" Link heard Sheik snort into his cowl and quickly the Sheikah turned his head away pulling the fabric up over his mouth. Prince Sidon payed him no mind, Link actually wondered if he remembered Sheik was there. "Right now, Zora's Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from Divine Beast Vah Ruta! Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, warriors! Won't you please come to Zora's Domain with me?" 

"That was actually our destination. We got a bit side tracked and to be honest I don't know the way." Link was winging it. He hoped with the map they got from the tower they could find the right direction. They kept getting distracted though. 

"Wow! Really?! Thank you, Link! You are indeed the man I thought you were! Now Zora's Domain will be saved for certain! No time to waste! Hurry up and head over!" 

"A direction would be helpful, especially with this weather." Sheik reached up and adjusted the head wrap on his head, already soaked through. Considering what Sidon said the rain wasn't going to stop soon either. 

Prince Sidon startled and nodded. "Yes of course. Because of the rain, the cliffs are too wet to climb. To reach the Domain, you will need to go straight along this path. As a Hylian, I know you are unable to swim up the river. As such, the path to the Domain may be a bit treacherous. You'll likely have a tough fight in store--there are monsters up ahead that attack with electricity." He suddenly wished he got the details before he agreed. Prince Sidon struck that weird pose again at Link's no doubt uncomfortable expression. "Don't give up! I believe in you! Oh right, these should help!" 

Link doesn't even want to know where he pulled the bottles out from but suddenly he had vials in his hands and was offering them to Link. "This is just a small trinket to show that I have faith in you! It's a drink that will increase your resistance to electricity! I'm not sure why but it's effects don't seem to work on Zora. Perhaps because it was made specifically for Hylians." Sheik let out a sigh again in what was no doubt exasperation. "It should work wonders for you, though! I shall go on ahead and make sure there is not anything strange going on where you are headed. I'm counting on you!" 

Sidon flipped backwards a long arch and vanished into the water, leaving them standing on the bridge. Link pocketed the potion he was given and offered another to Sheik who shook his head. Sidon did say it was made specifically for Hylians, would it not work on him? "It sounds like we'll have a dangerous journey." 

"No more than normal. This rain though will make the electricity more dangerous. It would be best to stick to the shadows and fight from a distance." That sounded like a good plan to Link. "The Zora are such an elegant race but they're so loud. Like a Goron." He rubbed the side of his head as if he had a headache. 

"Were the ones you know like that too?" They started along the bridge as they spoke. 

"Princess Ruto was, but she was also just a brat. Even grown she was still that way." Despite how he spoke there seemed to be a fondness for her in his tone. Sheik didn't seem inclined to explain anything more on it. 

They walked along the bridge and Sheik tried wringing some of the water out of his hair. Link kept his gaze out for enemies but still watched the other too. "You didn't correct him when he called you a Hylian." 

"There wasn't a point and he seemed desperate. Whatever he needed a Hylian for, which you are, I could do too." 

Right, Link figured that but also… his gaze focused on the bright color of the other's hair. "You wouldn't… lie to me, right?" Over something so silly. Clearly Sheik was a Sheikah, the slate said so, and his eyes were a bright red. He just--Impa was so specific to the hair thing and he was always so secret. Letting Link in with little bits of information but still so distant. He manipulated the conversations with a terrifying ease. Link wanted to trust him, more than he had ever wanted to trust anyone on this journey. 

Sheik paused in his steps and Link stopped a few breaths away from him, turning to look to Sheik. Sheik tossed his hair over his shoulder and looked Link in the eyes. He found himself trapped within that blood red stare, heart trapped in his own throat. "Sheik?" 

"As long as I travel with you." He stated and Link's heart stilled in his chest. "I swear upon the oath of the Sheikah to never lie to you. If I can answer your questions, I will. As I have been. The Sheikah pride themselves on honesty, the mark of our people often being called the Eye of Truth. I have not lied to you once and I will continue to not do so. If I cannot answer you truthfully, I simply won't answer you." 

Link swallowed, the feeling of guilt settling into his stomach. He knew he shouldn't have questioned him, shouldn't have distrusted him, but that nagging voice in his head just placed the few seconds of doubt and that was enough. Sheik crushed those worries quickly though and he nodded his head satisfied at the reply. "Thank you." 

A nod and Sheik moved to continue walking. "There is no need to thank me and you are entitled to your doubt. I'm a stranger from another time. But, as I aided the Hero of Time truthfully and loyally I will do the same for you." He stopped again and turned to Link abruptly. "I will protect you to the best of my ability, even if it's at the risk of my own life. That is the task of a Sheikah Warrior. Our lives are disposable." 

That… that was not at all what he wanted. He wanted Sheik to--be his friend or something not his spare life line! He didn't want to exchange Sheik for a third chance to do things right. Is that what he considered himself when he followed the Hero of Time around? The Hero had called him his friend, did Sheik even know he saw him as that? Their entire history just confused him more but right now in this moment he knew he didn't want whatever they had, he wanted more. He wanted friendship! 

But Sheik was moving already, turning away from him, and Link's hand was reaching out before he even realized it. Link caught Sheik on the elbow and pulled him to a stop, fingers curling into the others suit and holding him still. His gaze was fixed on the ground, watching the rain hit the stone of the bridge and ripple the puddle of water forming. Apart from the sounds of the water there was silence between them, Link holding onto Sheik and the other simply watching him. He knew they hadn't been together long, it had been seven days max since they met and that was hardly a chance to get to know someone. But even so he knew if anything happened to Sheik he'd never forgive himself. 

He found his voice. "I don't want that. I don't want you to place my life above yours. I don't want you to consider yourself disposable just because of some tradition your mother drilled into your brain. You're not some spare part that can be discarded to keep me going." 

He could feel the other shift but he didn't raise his gaze just as Sheik didn't attempt to remove himself from Link's grip. "Link," was that the first time he's called Link by his name to his face? "You're the Hero-"

"I'm not! I'm not a hero, and I'm not a champion! I'm just Link!" His grip tightened and he heard the spandex creak as it twisted in his grip. "I'm just someone who woke up in a shrine with a Princess in his head giving him directions. I'm just doing what I can one day at a time with the biggest risk of failure above my head. I'm not anyone special." He risked a chance and lifted his head up, looking to Sheik. "And I want you to be my friend, not my shield. Not my shadow. I thought we were doing well in becoming friends." 

Sheik looked away and Link could see the conflict in his eyes. He wondered if it stemmed from his teachings, his task with the Hero of Time, or Sheik's own mind. But whatever internal fight he seemed to have it was over fairly quickly and Link got a jerky nod in reply. "I've never had a friend before." One day, he'd tell Sheik what the Hero of Time said. "I don't know how to have friends." 

A grin spread across Link's face and he let Sheik go. "I don't remember ever having friends, so let's figure it out together?" He waits, let's the surprise flicker through Sheik, and then he received an actual smile in return. Sheik's smiles are rare and to be cherished every single time, even if he can't see the others mouth. He smiles with his eyes and that's enough for Link. 

"Together, then." 

They walked together up the winding path, sticking close together and using the close space for shared warmth. Sheik constantly reached up to adjust the head wrap on his head, then at some point while Link was taking out a stray Lizalfos with his bow and arrow the wrap vanished entirely. Sheik’s hair was soaked through and it looked uncomfortable, Link’s Hylian Hood at least protected his head from the increasing rainfall. So far everything seemed to be going well for them, apart from the stray Lizalfos and Octorok’s he didn’t see anything too dangerous. 

He was still waiting for them to reach that point. No doubt the dangerous Prince Sidon mentioned were waiting for them. Sheik took out another Lizalfos and landed down beside Link where he was waiting at the pass. They had to cross back and forth across the river, dodging Octorok’s and hitting them with arrows and Sheik’s Dirk’s. As Sheik collected them Link picked up the parts of the monsters they defeated and slipped them into their bag. 

"Hey! Link! Sheik!" Both of them stopped and slowly turned, looking toward the river where Prince Sidon was sticking up out of the water. "My apologies for calling out to you from the river! Since I pressured you into coming, I was not sure you would really come through. I am pleased things are going well." To well in Link's opinion considering the warning he was given. "Ever since this strange occurance, there have been a lot of monsters around here. Be careful as you proceed!" He raised his voice suddenly and shouted over the sound of the moving water. "And hurry! All my fellow Zora are anxiously awaiting your arrival!" 

Prince Sidon turned in the water and vanished beneath it leaving Link and Sheik where they were watching the water ripple with his abrupt departure. Sheik twisted his Dirk around in his hand and slid it into the holder at his thighs. "Demanding race they are. Princess Ruto was the same." He shook his head and started walking again, Link hurrying to keep up with him. "I saved her life once and all she could say to me was; where is my fiancè?" Link blinked and looked up at Sheik. "She was convinced she was engaged to the Hero of Time. She wasn't. Some weird Zora tradition. It involves the giving of a precious gift and the making of an outfit. Of course Hylians don't know those traditions though, and there went the Hero getting himself engaged at twelve." 

That sounded like a lot, no wonder the Hero of Time seemed to be having as hard of a time as he did. Being so young and having all those burdens thrown into you. Perhaps Link was lucky, he might have amnesia but he was aware and old enough to understand what was happening. "Where were you?" Sheik blinked and looked over to Link confused. "When the Hero was so young. What were you doing?" 

"I--we were the same ago, so I was twelve too. Impa had just rescued the Princess from the Castle. While they tried to hide from Ganon, I was supposed to be training. Learning how to guide the Hero when he left the Sacred Realm." Training. He mentioned doing training a lot but he never explained what type of training he went through. Link couldn't help but wonder what it was like. "I spied too, on Ganon. Giving the information I learned to Impa, the Princess and to the Hero." 

Was he spying at twelve and when he was older? Link couldn't imagine doing that, against someone who seemed to have eyes everywhere. Whenever he looked in the direction of the calamity he felt like he was being observed. It was horrifying. "Did you ever get caught?" 

Sheik's steps paused, just half a second, and then he was walking faster this time. "There's enemies up ahead, we should be on our guard." 

He was avoiding the subject but correct regardless. There in the distance outside the tunnel they were in was a small camp of Lizalfos. He could see the yellow heads on the arrows that symbolized the electric ones. Link frowned and reached behind him, tugging his bow off from his shoulder. "Distance?"

"Distance. And avoid those large puddles. You don't want to be caught in water when electricity hits it." Link nodded and they split apart, Sheik climbing up into a tree and Link crouching behind a rock. He ticked his arrow on the bow, pulled the string back and aimed for a headshot. He could take them out with one hit if he got it but if he didn't they'd be in for a fight. 

He waits as the Lizalfos pivots around, looking for enemies in the distance. When it turned to a side profile he lined his arrow up right and let the string go. The first hit was perfect and the beast went down. Link saw Sheik's Dirk fly through the air a moment after his Lizalfos was down and hit the one behind Link's between the eyes. Two down, six more to go. 

They were doing well until the final three. When Link's shot missed. He saw it before it happened, the Lizalfos moving and the arrow hitting far too low. The Lizalfos was instantly alerted to his place along with the other two nearby. One of them blew the horn as the others drew their bows back armed with arrows. Link had a split second to panic, looked down beneath him and just thanked his brief moment of intelligence to not be kneeling in a puddle. 

He climbed to his feet and took off running to the side, slipping on the wet ground and nearly falling on his ass. He felt in his pocket for the potions Prince Sidon gave him hoping to down it before the arrow smacked into him. 

"Link!" Arms slid around his neck and Sheik's body pressed against his. His own arms instinctively came up to catch the Sheikah, gripping his forearms as they tumbled backwards into the mud. Link could feel the moment the electricity hit Sheik from the arrow. His body tensed suddenly and it was as if all the muscles in the others body suddenly locked up. He got unnaturally warm and gasped sharply in pain, jaw locking up and teeth grinding together. It passed in a blink but there were these twitches to his body that Sheik didn't seem able to quite control. 

It was horrifying. 

"Sheik!" Link moved his arms to wrap around the Sheikah's upper half, dragging him behind a tree and depositing him into the ground. "Are you alright? I might have a potion, just hang on."

"I--'m fin'." He most certainly wasn't fine if he couldn't get his words out. Sheik seemed to notice that too given the way his face seemed to pinch in frustration. "Ene-y's." Right, he should deal with the Lizalfos before they get them again. Especially Sheik. Another hit might be the end of him. 

"Fine just--stay here!" Not that he could go anywhere anyway, which Link would scold himself for being an idiot later. He grabbed his Guardian Spear from his pack and twisted the weapon out until it activated. These didn't generate electricity, it would be better than his traveler's sword. Armed he headed out from behind the tree and took on the nearest Lizalfos that had found them. It didn't take him long to dispose of the remaining Lizalfos now that he was ready for them. He could dodge the arrows as they came and with a series of simple hits with the spear they were done for. 

When he returned to Sheik the Warrior had managed to get himself standing but he still shook as if the electricity was still running through his body. Link took the others arm in his own and used it to support him as he guided Sheik down the path. "Has your speech returned at least?" 

He got a nod and Sheik took in a shallow breath. "I'm fine, not the first time I've been hit with a shock arrow, or various forms of lightning tools. Just takes the body a bit to work it out."

"You should have taken that potion that Prince Sidon gave us." Sheik shook his head and Link frowned. "Why not?" 

"It was made for a Hylian. It'll have either a very little and pointless effect on me or none at all. Besides, the Sheikah are more resilient to stuff like that, we have our own methods of healing."

"Like?" He prompted, adjusting the other and wishing nothing more than to help. 

"Magic." Gently he shakes Link off from him and turns toward the water. Honestly, it took even Link a few seconds to spot Prince Sidon and realize the other had been calling out to them. It was hard to hear him from so far away, the Sheikah must have had sensitive hearing or it was a Sheik thing. 

But the red Zora Prince waved at them until they approached the edge of the land. "Sorry for calling from so far away! The Domain is still a ways off, but you're making good progress! I shall be along soon myself, it won't be much longer! In the meantime, I'll be cheering you on from here in the river, so hang in there! You can do it! Stay strong!" 

Link waved and Prince Sidon flipped around back into the water, leaving them alone once again. "Link." 

"Hmm?" 

"Correct me if I'm wrong."

"Huh?" 

"Did this fish," he said fish with such resentment that Link actually turned to look at him. His face was still blank. "Have on him a sword strapped to his waist?" 

"Oh." He hadn't actually noticed but now that he thought about it, yes. Prince Sidon carried a blue sword strapped to his hip. "He did." 

"So this Prince, who is undoubtedly trained in combat, is leaving us to fight while he acts like a cheerleader from the water. Not even bothering to kill the Lizalfos that swim around with him?"

"Oh…" understanding dawned on Link and he tried to think of some excuse for Prince Sidon. It wasn't working. 

"I was just checking I'm not losing my mind, allow us to continue. Please drink one of those potions he gave you." 

Apart from the brief and random thunderstorm they walked through nothing increased in difficulty. They disposed of the same Lizalfos, a few Keese that Link's guardian spear managed within the lightning storm and then they were at a bridge. 

They got about halfway across it before pausing, Link glancing down intp the water before turning to Sheik. He was messing with his hair again, trembling fingers trying to fix the braid that was falling out. He dragged his fingers across the railing of the bridge, the bright blue rock that clearly glowed. "You know, I still like the Zora design. They have good taste." 

"If we don't get there soon we should stop and rest. You need to eat, we've been hiking through here and fighting for a full day." Sheik was right the sun was setting at this point. He stopped fighting with his saturated hair and threw it over his shoulder, looking to Link who leaned against the railing. He was tired too and Sheik seemed to be reacting a bit slower. Zora's Domain didn't seem that far away when they started. 

"Where are we, do you know?" 

"I read a sign on our way through here, this is called Luto's Crossing." Sheik would read a sign in the middle of a battle. 

"Hey! Link! Sheik! Look below! Down here!" 

Sheik actually rolled his eyes, Link caught him. But they both leaned over the bridge and looked down to the Zora. There Sidon was in the water, waving madly. "You are still pretty far off, my friend." Link tilted his head toward Sheik when he cursed under his breath and muttered about craving fish fillet. "But I was sure you'd be passing over this bridge, so I have been waiting for you. You will be in Zora's Domain before you know it! In fact, I'm going to head that way too! I shall meet you there!" 

Link didn't notice when Sheik left his side but he saw the way Sidon stilled in the water and moved his head. "Woah, Link! Watch out!" 

He expected to be hit by something, he didn't expect for Sheik to suddenly grab him from his tunic and throw him down the bridge. He slid from the wet terrain and then hit the end of it in the grass. When he picked his head up he watched Sheik pull his Lyre from his back, soaked and bandaged fingers finding the strings without hesitation. He picked a few notes, a single set that worked well together and when he threw his hand out on the final note a burst of light strummed from the Lyre. It smacked into the Moblin, threw him into the side of the bridge and then right over the side of it. They'd be dead the moment they hit the water. 

"You let Prince Sidon distract you." The Lyre was returned to its owner's back and Sheik made his way over, offering Link a hand. He accepted the help up and dusted his clothes off. "Come on, we can see Zora's Domain from here, if we hurry we might make it before sunrise." He didn't sound that hopeful. They were definitely talking later about Sheik taking an arrow for him and now physically throwing him from danger. When they weren't soaked, tired and starving. 

They hiked up around the mountain side, Link stumbling a few times and catching Sheik when his body twitched unnaturally. He was truly worried about the effects of being hit in the spine with a shock arrow. When they reached the top they froze instantly, gazes narrowing in on the Wizzrobe. 

"Run."

"What?"

"Run, Link!" His arm was grabbed and Sheik yanked him toward the edge of the mountain. "Grab your paraglider!" He had about ten seconds to react before Sheik was jumping from the side of the mountain and they were falling. He shook the paraglider out, the sound of laughter behind him from the Wizzrobe but thankfully it didn't follow him. But they were descending too quickly. Sheik was wrapped around his waist, arms encircled around him and face pressed into his hip. They hit land a moment later and Sheik stumbled in his steps before slipping to his knees and sitting on the ground. 

Link folded the paraglider back up and put it away. "A little more warning would be nice."

"Any longer taken to explain the plan and we would have had to fight it." He was probably right but Link didn't like being thrown off a cliff. "With how tired we are it would have been too tight a fight. Those things are annoying when you're not tired." Which was also true. Link sighed and nodded to Sheik before sitting down on the ground with him. 

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Sheik's head buried in his hands and body slumped over. The rain was cutting through his body like ice and chilling him to his very core. Sheik alone was trembling where he sat and Link was worried about him getting hypothermia. "Sheik, we need to get up, how much further?" 

"It's behind us actually." Link blinked and turned. No kidding, right there was the long bridge, so many lights and the island that made up Zora's Domain. He takes a breath, rubs his hands together and then climbs up to his feet. Reaching his hands out he grabs Sheik's forearm and pulls him up to stand with him. Together they made their way to the bridge and then slowly across it. 

Sidon met them at the entrance, all smiles and far too happy for someone like Link and Sheik who felt as horrible as they did. Sheik straightened up and slid Link's arm off of him, looking up at the Zora Prince. "Woah! I've been waiting for you! Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora's Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the King. Hurry, this way!"

"No." Sidon blinked and Link watched as Sheik quickly changed from the annoyed and slightly pissed off Sheikah he had been traveling with to the Sheik his mother had raised. "Forgive me Prince Sidon, but Link and I just traveled for over a day constantly fighting. Were wounded, exhausted, and freezing. Hylians are warm blooded creatures, remember, the cold rain doesn't affect us the same way it does you. It harms us. We need to sleep. Besides, it's the middle of the night, I'm sure the King would rather be bothered when he's awake."

Sidon blinked and surprise flickered across his face before nodding in what Link assumed was agreement. "My apologies I forgot how sensitive you Hylians are!" Link quickly reached out and grasped Sheik's forearm before he attacked the Prince. "Please, the Inn is that way I'll fetch you in the morning once you've rested to meet the King! To help Zora's Domain you must be at your full strength!" 

He guided them a bit into the Domain and left them with another red Zora. This one seemed slightly different shaped, he assumed she was their version of a female. "Welcome to Seabed Inn! Oh--! Could you be? Linny? It is! It's Linny!" He… had no idea what she was saying to him. He simply blinked at her. "Yes. I'm sure of it! You're Linny! Wow, it's been such a long time. Wait, but… I thought you and Mipha… fell to Calamity Ganon." Who was Mipha? "And you've been alive all this time? Where have you been? What have you been doing? Please, tell me!"

"My Lady," Sheik sucked in another breath that Link had learned to read as him gathering his patience. He actually agreed this time, if it wasn't one thing it was another. Today just didn't seem to stop. "Can we talk in the morning? We are very tired."

The Zora collected herself quickly and was clearly embarrassed. "Oh, I'm so sorry… I'm an adult and here I am, making a ruckus. I'd love to catch up sometime soon. Please, come inside, we have plenty of beds! My husband will help you. I'm Kodah and his name is Kayden." 

Sheik practically dragged him inside and over to the blue Zora at a small desk. His color almost made him blend in with all the blue walls. "Greetings, welcome to Seabed Inn--wait… you can't be… you're master Link!" 

"We've been through this." Sheik cut him off and dropped a sack of rupees onto the table. "Please, save this for in the morning. Two beds, for a week, what do you want?"

Kayden blinked and recovered quickly, his professional nature kicking in. "A week?" 

Link cut in, placing a gentle hand on Sheik's elbow. He wasn't imagining the slight tremor to his body, was he still in pain from the shock arrow? He seemed to be struggling to hold himself upright through sheer force of will. "We've come from a long way to help Prince Sidon and Zora's Domain with Vah Ruta. We plan on being here for a while."

"I see, one week then. Do you want a normal bed or a blissful water bed?" 

"Normal for me, I've had enough of being wet for a while." Link was inclined to agree with Sheik on this. "Zora don't bathe like us I know, but do you happen to have somewhere we can wash up?" 

"Oh of course! We have a bath here in the Inn for our travers. Light the fire beneath it to warm the water." 

Sheik nodded and paid Kayden the fee for the beds for the week and then left Link to get warmed up.


	3. Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do love Prince Sidon, not the biggest fan of Vah Ruta in general. Though Mipha's Grace has saved my ass a number of times playing BOTW. In my original playthrough (on the Wii U) Vah Ruta was the first Divine Beast I did and Waterblight kicked my ass so many times. 
> 
> Good luck, Link and Sheik! 
> 
> This was originally all one chapter with the previous one, I broke it up since it seemed to long. Enjoy!

He met Sheik by the entrance to the Inn the next day, standing there and talking with Kodah and Prince Sidon. They hadn't noticed him yet and he took the time to try and read Sheik's body language. It was something he felt he was getting better at and yet still found himself confused by. He was leaning against the entrance to the Inn, arms folded across his chest and gaze focused on Prince Sidon. He gave off the appearance of being bored but Link thought he was quite interested in what the Zora was saying. 

Link had figured a while back that Sheik enjoyed learning. He had a vast amount of knowledge when it came to legends, potions and music but also smaller things too, like the Zora's traditions. It was fascinating the amount of stuff he knew. 

Finally making his way over he stopped next to Sheik and intentionally bumped their shoulders together. The Sheikah stood up straight and dropped his arms down to his side as Prince Sidon lit up at seeing him. "Link! You're awake! Sheik refused to allow me to wake you up. He said you needed more rest."

"You had already woken me up at the crack of dawn, you need to relax a bit. The rain won't wash Zora's Domain away for at least a few more months. Hyrule suffers a greater danger from this than your Domain." Despite Sheik's words Prince Sidon just continued to sulk. "Well he's awake now." Sheik waved his hand in Link's direction. "Let's show him to the King." 

Another thing he noticed. Sheik could do a lot of the talking yet somehow still make himself less important than Link. It wasn't like people remembered him, he's over a hundred years old, they're not looking at him to defeat the Calamity. Prince Sidon could have shown Sheik to the King just as easily as Link. So why did it seem like Sheik somehow invalidated his existence and being here without even trying? He was smarter than Link, clever and a decent fighter. He could do just as much if not more than Link. Not that Link doubted his own abilities but he didn't remember being that master swordsman that was in the King's court, he was simply moving his body on instinct. Sheik had years of training, fighting, and had done all of this before. 

The King looked like an actual fish. Prince Sidon looked like a fish, undoubtedly, Zora were after all an aquatic race. But King Zora? An actual fish. Link was sure of it. Sheik hummed from beside him and whispered beneath his breath. "You think our loud friend will become like that?" Big enough that Link was like just a quarter of his arm length instead of half his height? The thought was terrifying. "It's a Zora King thing, I'm sure of it now. The Zora King of my time, Do Bon, was that big… but he looked like a frog." 

Link had to catch himself from laughing, resorting to elbowing Sheik in the side who simply hummed again in response and stepped away. Prince Sidon took that time to introduce the King to them. Link walked up the platform and it took him a second to realize Sheik stood at the bottom off to the side. 

"Ah. You must be the Hylian that Sidon bought here, correct? You did well to come all the way here. I am King Dorephan, Ruler of the Zora." 

"I had help in getting here. I'm sure Prince Sidon mentioned my friend?" He turned briefly and motioned to Sheik. "That's Sheik." 

"Oh yes! The other Hylian! I did mention him! They fought splendidly together." Prince Sidon nodded to himself and the King's gaze shifted to Sheik. Sheik did an excellent bow and Link noticed his head was still absent of the head wrap he wore before. The rain must have soaked it to much to get back on. 

"Sidon, you should review your lessons on the races of Hyrule later. Young Sheik, what takes a Sheikah so far from Kakariko Village? I've heard it's rare your kind ventures far from it's protective mountain border." 

Sheik, who wouldn't actually know that, briefly glanced at Link before turning back to the King. "I'm assisting Link. He can't read the Sheikah Slate." That was certainly one way to shortening the explanation of their journey. 

"The Sheikah Slate?" And just like that Link had the King's entire attention once more. "HMM?!" He shifts forward and for a moment Link worries he'll fall off that chair. "Now that I have gotten a good look at you, it is all to clear who you are. You are the Hylian Champion, Link! Do not tell me you have forgotten me." 

Prince Sidon took a step forward, eyes as wide as the others. This was going to become a thing again, where he's surrounded by people who know him but he doesn't recognize a single one of them. "The Hylian Champion? You can't mean THE Link? THAT Champion? So that's where I have heard your name before! What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths!" 

"I cannot believe it. The Hylian Champion, Link, had appeared before us. We have met numerous times, I'll have you know." Yeah, he's heard that before. He doesn't entirely mind not remembering but sometimes, in situations like this, it is difficult to be the person being talked about but have no idea what they mean. "Ah, so many memories!" Because of things like that. "My mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend. I had heard a terrible rumor that you had fallen in combat, but it appears you managed to survive!" 

He took this moment to let out a soft breath and step forward. "I lost my memory." 

Silence. For a good few moments. Then the King leaned toward him. "Come again? You say you have lost your memories? But surely you must remember my precious daughter Mipha, yes? You do, do you not?" 

This was not going to go well. He shakes his head instead of using his voice. "I cannot believe it... have you truly forgotten my dear Mipha as well? You and Mipha were so close, yet you do not remember her?" Her and countless others he heard he was close to. "Young Hero, please look upon Zora's Domain." Link turned and walked toward Sheik who followed him to the edge of the area they were in. Looking down they spotted the center of the Domain and the statue they had passed countless times earlier. "Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha's immortalized form still not jog your memory?" He shook his head, feeling bad for the King, and looked back up to him. "Well, perhaps your memory will return in time." 

That's what Impa said too. He wasn't as hopeful as them. He clenched his hands tightly and felt Sheik move closer to him, body pressed against his arm as if hiding his reaction to them. He appreciated it. 

"Father, I do not believe discussing my sister is helping at the moment. Link seems confused." No, not really confused, he knew exactly what they meant and what they were talking about. He just couldn't remember what they wanted him to and wasn't that just the root end of all of his problems with people. Not remembering. But he wasn't about to correct Prince Sidon, he just stepped a bit closer to Sheik and let the other's presence near him sooth his stress. 

Sheik was good at being that for Link. 

"Oh? Yes of course, you're right Sidon. But first it is worth noting how remarkable it is that Sidon brought the Hylian Champion here without realizing it!" Again, he note's they leave Sheik out. Link was absolutely going to drag Sheik into the Divine beast with him and make the other take some of the credit for all of this. "That's quite a feat, my boy!" Prince Sidon shifts and turns his head away embarrassed before grinning at his father. "Link, you have without a doubt endeared a great my trials yet I must ask you to hear my plea. Hero, Zora's Domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?" 

"What?!" Link startled at the shout and Sheik rolled his head to the side, staring at the flat head shaped Zora that had shouted. He was a different color than the others they'd seen, brown if Link was right, and head quite flat. Though he was glaring at Link with fire in his eyes. "King Dorephan, my Liege, please do not speak so! To ask a Hylian for help, well the very thought of it curls my fins!" 

"Muzu, I expected more from you, how can you still protest?" 

Prince Sidon took a step forward and shook his head. "Muzu, it is rude to speak to your King that way and his guest! Link and Sheik are here because I invited them! With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of a trustworthy Hylian. And might I remind you he is not alone, he has the Sheikah with him if a Hylian is truly your problem. They are the key to saving Zora's Domain which we all discussed before we went to find a Hylian." 

The King nodded. "Well said my boy. Link is a champion through and through and I trust his choice in allies to be dependable. As things stand all of Zora's Domain, no, all of Hyrule will be doomed to be swallowed by the sea. This is bigger than us my friend. Zora, Hylian and even the Sheikah must put aside our differences and stand together!" 

"The Sheikah I can stand but have you forgotten already, my King? We cannot trust these lowly Hylians!"

"Lowly?" Sheik muttered the word under his breath and Link noticed his gaze narrowed at Muzu. He only seemed annoyed and honestly Link was feeling a bit uncomfortable. 

"A hundred years ago they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today!" 

"You mean the Sheikah Technology?" This time Sheik's voice was louder, intended to be carried, and cut through the conversation happening. Muzu turned his head to Sheik and his gaze seemed just as angry with him for interrupting as he was with Link for simply existing. "From my understanding the Sheikah Tech that you say they abused was created for the very reason it was dug up. To stop Ganon. The intention behind my ancestors was for it to be used, not buried away. It's simply a shame that despite the Sheikah's best efforts it wasn't enough to resist Ganon's control." 

Muzu didn't appreciate Sheik's blunt response considering the way he bristled. "How dare you--" 

Sheik blinked and narrowed his red eyed gaze at Muzu. "Correct you? Because that is simply all I did. They're my ancestors, I get to speak for them. Not you. I haven't corrected you on any Zora, have I? You're not mad about the Sheikah Tech, you're not even mad at Link being a Hylian. So please, enlighten me, what exactly is your problem?" 

Muzu turned back to King Dorephan and his expression fell into something of desperation. "My Liege, it is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us." 

Sheik bristled next to him and Link caught his forearm as it reached for a Dirk. He didn't think Sheik would actually stab Muzu in the middle of the King's court but he certainly looked tempted. 

"Link, Sheik, Divine Beast Vah Ruta has great power. It has the unique ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result this area has been plagued by endless heavy rainfall. Because of the rain the eastern reservoir has been flooded and I fear soon it will burst and all of Hyrule will be lost to the sea." 

A sharp sound filled the air and Sheik's entire body tensed as Link startled. The both of them turned and looked out over Zora's Domain once again. It was a haunting sound that echoed throughout the entire area, a cry of sorts that one would hear a wounded animal make. The Zora were less surprised and it made sense why when the King explained. 

"Ah, Vah Ruta cries out again. The Princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts before the Great Calamity. According to her research the orbs located on Vah Ruta's shoulders are mechanics that can control the water that Vah Ruta generates. However, it requires electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity generating through them." 

"I see. That is why you need a Hylian." Sheik shook his head and glanced over to Link. "You wouldn't know but the Zora are more than just sensitive to electricity. Even a little bit could be deadly to them. So any hope of stopping Vah Ruta's endless rain would be impossible for them." 

"You are very astute, Sheik." King Dorephan nodded his head pleased at Sheik's explanation and Link now understood their plight. 

The Prince continued where the King stopped. "Siggin, who is quite shock resistant for a Zora, managed to hit Vah Ruta with a shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit. He wounded himself in the process and we assumed because not enough of the orbs were hit the water returned to normal. Link, as Sheik stated we need you to use shock arrows to get those orbs working properly again." Prince Sidon grinned and struck his familiar pose. "I will of course aid you as much as I can! Please, Hero… I beg of you. Aid us in stopping Vah Ruta's rampage." 

Link took a breath and looked between the two of them before speaking. "You see, that is actually why we were on our way to Zora's Domain in the first place. Sheik and I--" he motioned to his friend at his side. "Were asked by Zelda herself to appease the divine beasts. And eventually, Calamity Ganon." It was the shortest explanation but he didn't really wish to go into the whole thing. 

The King blinked and for half a second Link thought he'd be called a liar. "So, Princess Zelda is still alive then?" 

Link nodded. "Inside Hyrule Castle. She's suppressing Calamity Ganon." 

"I see. The events of a hundred years ago cannot be altered, that is true. But perhaps if we gain control of the divine beasts again… they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once more." 

Prince Sidon smiled slightly, a pleasant one that showed less of his horrifying teeth. "I did not realize you had such grand ambitions, Link. Wonderous! Naturally, I shall help too! Once Vah Ruta's rampaging has been stopped you should easily be able to climb inside! Come, allow us to appease Vah Ruta together!" 

"Thank you, Link. Truly we are in your debt. Our goals are the same. This means our meeting was nothing short of destiny. Please, accept this gift as a show of faith." He's not entirely sure where the King was keeping it but suddenly Prince Sidon was offering him some sort of armored top. Sheik looked down at it with a blonde eyebrow arching up, amusement dancing across his eyes as he looked it over.

He gave a small hum and tugged the sleeve of the tunic, whispering to Link. "Suddenly getting a feeling of Deja Vu. Remember what I said early about Ruto?"

Ruto? The Zora Princess from his time? The one who was crazy and thought they were engaged to the Hero of Time? 

Engaged. Zora traditions. 

Oh.

"So long as you wear this you'll be able to swim like a Zora. Even up waterfalls. Please, take good care of it." Link has a sinking feeling that only got worse when Muzu started shouting. 

"King Dorephan! Surely you do not intend to give this outsider the Zora armor!? Countless generations of Zora Princesses have gifted that armor to the one they had sworn to marry! Princess Mipha made that one there with her own hands! It is far too important to be trusted to this shady Hylian! He may be the champion but he had no such relationship with her. Why should he receive such an honor? This is to much, I simply don't understand it." Having said his peace Muzu turned to leave and they let him go. 

The King took their gaze once more. "You must forgive Muzu, he was tasked with training my daughter Mipha. Naturally, she was important to him. As she was to all of us. Hmm… what to do though. I had tasked Muzu with collecting the shock arrows needed for Vah Ruta and now he's rushed off in a huff." 

"Do not let Muzu's words get to you, Link! I shall work this out with him and return!" Prince Sidon rushed off after Muzu, leaving them behind and Link holding armor that felt more valuable than his life. He adjusted it in his hands and turned to Sheik. Was he supposed to wear it now? 

"What should we do?" 

Sheik shrugged his shoulders. "I'd say go after him, as much as I loathe the idea of getting wet again." He looked like he did too, already folding his arms across his chest and trying to gather more warmth within himself. 

"Do you get cold easily?" It seemed like such a silly question once he asked it and Link scolded himself for being so ridiculous. He fumbled with more words to cover himself. "I just… I noticed when we were fighting in the rain you got tired quicker, though you were hit with a shock arrow in the spine which could explain that. I--I never even asked are you alright?" 

Sheik was laughing at him. He was, Link could see the shake to his shoulders and he swore the other was smiling. "I do, you know, get colder easier. Sheikah also have sensitive hearing, if you're curious. And, to answer your last question, I'm probably fine. Can't exactly look at my own back though." He shrugs as if it's nothing to just assume he's fine rather than know. 

"I could for you. Your back, I mean, and later obviously not right now." He should really stick to letting Sheik do the talking, he was much better with words. 

"We'll see. We have a lot to do before we'll get a chance for that. Should we go find Prince Sidon?" He was right, there was too much to do right now that didn't involve seeing Sheik's back. 

"Right." He nodded his head and shifted the tunic in his arms before heading for the stairs. It wasn't hard to find the two of them, they were arguing in front of the statue of Mipha. Link stayed close to Sheik as they headed over toward the two of them, partly for his own comfort and partly hoping that his body heat would rub off on him. Sheik was already shivering though clearly trying hard to hide it. 

They stopped beside the two of them and Link took the chance to raise his head and glance up at the statue. She really didn't seem familiar, as horrible as that was for the Zora, and he did feel bad that he didn't recognize her. She seemed pretty, for the most part, though he didn't particularly feel attracted to the Zora species. She seemed kind and he was sure that she was a good person, a good friend to him. 

"We do not need his help." Link startled from his thoughts at Sheik's voice and snapped his gaze back to the other. Sheik was glaring at Muzu's retreating back and turned to Prince Sidon. "You said you know a place where we can get them. Point me in the direction, I'll get Link the arrows." 

"You must be cautious, Sheik, the arrows are wielded by a vicious Lynel that has terrorized our back mountain since the Calamity started." 

Sheik didn't even blink. "Show me the way." Link had a feeling that not much could scare Sheik. That he's looked at things more horrifying that either him or Prince Sidon could imagine. He didn't know enough about the Hero of Time's era to say for certain what he's seen, but he's sure it wasn't pleasant. Link has seen Lynel's though and every single time he's stared one down he's ran from them as fast as he could. Lynel's were vicious, he didn't want Sheik to fight that.

Prince Sidon advised them to sneak around and collect the arrows. He had Link put the tunic from Mipha on and prepare himself for climbing the waterfall. Sheik promised he'd meet him along the way with his own method of getting up the mountain. Link shrugged and let the Sheikah run off as he joined Prince Sidon in the water. 

The tunic did exactly what Prince Sidon said it would. When he got close enough to the waterfall it kicked in all on its own and swung him up the water, moving his body in ways that should have been uncomfortable. It kicked him out of the top and Link flung himself onto the land off to the side, landing rather harshly. He coughed up water he'd taken into his mouth and pushed up against the ground to prop himself up. "Gotta get used to that." He pat his chest, coughed a few more times and then stood up. Just two more waterfalls to go. 

He reached the top before Sheik and changed his clothes while he got ready. He tugged the Hylian Tunic back on and wrapped his hood around himself, shaking rainwater and river water from his hair. Once he was finished he scarfed down a few baked apples. As he was finishing off the last one Sheik swung himself up the side of the mountain and stood up, wringing water from his long braided hair. He looked like he was scowling. 

"You look like a wet dog." He threw his braid over his shoulder and started up the mountain. Link smiled a bit to himself and chased after him. 

"Does that make you a cat?" He got thrown a glare over his shoulder, red eyes narrowed but yet full of amusement. 

He felt he was getting better at reading Sheik, it made him happy. He wanted to be able to understand the other. He wanted to be closer to him. Sheik was someone he felt he could rely on, who made him feel comfortable and safe even. 

"So this Lynel, what are we doing about it?" Sheik stopped before the climb to the top where the Lynel should be, his hand reaching up toward the tree beside him and grasping the end of an arrow. He yanked it from the wood, twisted it around and offered it to Link. 

Link took the end and tucked the shock arrow into the quiver at his back. "Prince Sidon said to sneak around it?"

It seemed like a good plan, Link didn't want to have to fight that thing if he didn't have to. He's seen them pick up Bokoblins and throw them like they were pebbles. It was a bit more than terrifying. 

"Well, stealth is a Sheikah's specialty, so just wait here and I'll collect the shock arrows." 

"But Sheik--" he didn't want to send the other into something so dangerous, especially not after yesterday. But Sheik was already taking out his Lyre from his back and handing it to Link. 

"I'll be fine. Here, hang onto this I don't want the reflection from it to catch it's eye." That was smart. Link gently took the Lyre and held it to his chest, still not agreeing with this plan at all. Sheik didn't seem interested in continuing this argument though and just headed up the mountain as silent as ever. 

Link moved around to the edge where he could see the other and spotted the Lynel not that far off pacing around. They really were intimidating beasts, looking large and wild. Not to mention their fighting style was terrifying. How they ran at things and had a long reach with that sword. From what he could see though Sheik was doing fairly well, he was using the trees and the rocks as coverage, jumping from tree to tree and rolling behind rocks quickly. Whenever the Lynel would stop and turn quickly to look in Sheik’s direction his heart would lodge itself in his throat. But Sheik would always realize what was happening too, vanish from sight and wait it out. He clearly wasn’t wrong when he said stealth was a Sheikah’s specialty. 

Sheik dropped down beside him from the top of the boulder Link was hiding behind and held the bundle of arrows he collected out to Link. He took them and offered the Lyre back to Sheik who slid it behind his back. “I collected ten, with what we got just walking to Zora’s Domain we should have about twenty.” 

Link nodded and slipped the shock arrows into his quiver. “It should be enough. I’m pretty good with a bow and arrow so I shouldn’t miss. Especially a target that big.” Sheik hummed but Link felt it was more in agreement than anything else. 

“The cliff edge looks over where Prince Sidon is waiting, you can paraglide down to him. I’ll climb my way around and meet you there.” 

Link really was hating them having to split up here just because of the rain. Letting out a small sigh he leaned forward and bumped his shoulder against Sheik’s. “We’re going to invest in a paraglider for you at some point.” He didn’t even get the entire sentence out before Sheik’s face was scrunching up in distaste. He could even see the frown Sheik had through the mask. A bubble of laughter tumbled out of him and he tried to keep it as quiet as he could so they didn’t attract the Lynel’s attention. 

“I prefer to trust my body rather than some flimsy paper.” 

Link covered his mouth with his hand and bent over in laughter, shoulders shaking and stomach hurting. He took a breath and calmed himself down before looking up to Sheik with a bright smile. “I’ve only almost fallen to my death a few times.” 

Sheik spun around and made to head back down the way they came. “I’ll meet you over there with the safety of my own body mechanics. Please don’t fall to your death.” 

Link stuck to the edge of the Mountain pass and kept out of the Lynel’s sight. He spotted a few arrows tucked under rocks that Sheik missed and picked them up along the way. When he reached the edge that Sheik mentioned he looked down and saw Vah Ruta. So just jump then, Prince Sidon was waiting on the bridge for them. Standing up he checked he had his paraglider and then jumped down. He sailed easily down to the reservoir and landed on the edge that led out to where Prince Sidon was. Once on solid ground he tucked the paraglider away once more and checked his bows. He had three on him, so he was set for there and he could use the flimsier one for this. 

Taking a quick glance around for Sheik and not seeing him he figured he could at least go greet Prince Sidon on his own. He made his way down the stretch of the bridge and stood beside the Zora who was watching Vah Ruta. “I got the arrows.” 

“Glad to see you’re ready to go, Link!” He looked him over once and motioned to his Hylian Tunic. “You’ll need the Zora armor through, once you put that on we’ll be ready to calm Vah Ruta!” Ah, he took it off for the chance he had to fight the Lynel. Well, he could throw it on real quick. Giving a nod of his head he stepped away from Prince Sidon and shook the Zora tunic out from his pack. 

Getting dressed wet and in the rain with wet clothes was not the highlight of his day. He was glad that the hood could keep the worst of the rain off of his back but he still had goosebumps rising against his skin. He unbuttoned the hood from around his neck and slipped the tunic down over his neck, struggling to get his arms through the soaked and skin tight clothes. 

“I think we should invest in towels more than anything.” Link stilled, arm halfway through the tunic and bent at an odd angle, slowly glancing up and looking to Sheik. Well, this was a little embarrassing. “Here, let me help.” Sheik crouched down and grasped the fabric of the Zora tunic, pulling it down and over his arm. They got both his arms through and then Sheik grasped the bottom of it, dragging it down over his chest. His fingers were cold, like icicles and he could feel the calloused tips of them brushing across his skin as he tried to arrange the tunic properly. “There. Are you feeling alright? Ready?” 

No, especially not now. He nods his head and stands back up, buttoning the Hylian Hood properly in place. He turned to Prince Sidon and nodded his head at the Zora. 

“Wonderous! Let us go and appease Divine Beast Vah Ruta as one! Here we go!” Prince Sidon flipped backwards and landed in the water, popping up a moment later. Sheik and him walked to the edge of the pier and looked to the Zora who waved his arm toward Vah Ruta. “Gaze upon Vah Ruta’s back. Do you see those glowing, pink orbs? You will need to shoot each one of them with a shock arrow! With the Zora armor, you now have the ability to ascend waterfalls! So I shall take you right up to the side of the Divine Beast, and from there you can swim up and take aim. I know you can do it. I believe in you! Now hurry up and get on my back!” 

“Link,” Sheik grasped the sleeve of his tunic and drew his attention over to him. “I can’t help from out there but leave the Sheikah Slate with me, I might find a way to assist you from here with it.” He had no problems leaving the slate with Sheik, he trusted him with it and if he could help somehow he appreciated it. Even if he couldn’t Link would have still left it with him. Nodding, his hand reached to his belt and he undoes the clip that keeps the Sheikah Slate and the case at his waist. He slides it off and holds the entire thing out to Sheik who took it from him. “Alright, I’ll see if I can do anything, be careful.” 

Leaving that to his friend he turned back to Prince Sidon and slipped into the water. Prince Sidon helped him onto his back and they soared out toward the Divine Beast. “Vah Ruta has defense mechanisms when we get close enough, you see how she’s responding to our presence? She’ll start shooting ice out at us, I’ll leave that to you!” 

True enough like he said ice blocks started appearing and lining up. As they shot out and flew toward him Link fumbled for a normal arrow. He didn’t have to use it though, when it got close enough it broke up and scattered across the water. Glancing back at the bridge he saw Sheik with the Slate out. Seems they’d leave the ice to Sheik instead. Exchanging the arrow for a shock arrow he readied himself and Prince Sidon swung him up the first waterfall. 

It was a bit harder to take aim in mid air but he managed to line himself up and aim the arrow before shooting it. He nailed the pink orb and it turned yellow as he dropped back down into the water. Grabbing hold of Prince Sidon again they repeated the process with Sheik taking care of the ice and allowing them a chance to get close enough in to head up the waterfall. There was six orbs in total and Link only missed once when aiming for them and tumbling back into the water. 

By the end of it the water flow finally stopped and Link was a bit tired but the Divine Beast had finally calmed down. It even began rising out of the water and giving Link a chance to get up onto the platform to enter it. Prince Sidon brought him over to the platform and tossed him up onto it, heading back over for Sheik at the pier. Link helped Sheik up onto the platform with him and they both turned back to Prince Sidon. He wished them luck and as Vah Ruta started to stand in the water he swam back proming to meet them at Zora’s Domain. 

“Hey, there’s an activation spot here.” Sheik moved over to the terminal and placed the Sheikah Slate over top of it. The terminal reacted instantly and the teleportation spot that Link was standing on lit up blue with the Sheikah symbol. Sheik hummed and tucked the slate away before moving to look at the glowing symbol of his tribe. 

“What do the symbols say?” He questioned once Sheik reached the middle of the spot, looking down at the Sheikah Eye. 

“It just says ‘transport’.” He supposed that made sense. 

_You’re here._

Link froze and spun around, gaze searching out for the voice. Sheik, who noticed the sudden movement, turned to look at him, eyebrow raised in question. 

_I must say… that I am so happy to see that this day has finally arrived. Now Ruta can be freed from Ganon’s control. You’ll need a map to prevent you from getting lost. The Guidance Stone there contains the information that you will need._

“I can hear Mipha I think, the same way I can hear Zelda. She says one of the guidance stones contains a map of Vah Ruta.” 

“That’s interesting. Alright, let’s go.” Sheik slid the Sheikah slate back into the holder that now rested on his own waist and headed inside Vah Ruta. Link took out the malice blocking the path with an arrow and they were greeted at the entrance with a Guardian. 

“So, those are the little things you told me about.” Link nodded and Sheik gave a small hum. “Thought my tribe had better taste, it’s a bit creepy looking.” He pulled a Dirk from off of his thigh and twisted it around. “I assume the eye is the weak point.” 

They took it out together with little effort and made their way over to the gate that blocked off the terminal they needed. Link took the slate from Sheik and used Cryosis to pop it up and they slipped inside to the room. Link placed the slate into the terminal and it lit up. 

"If you're still curious," Sheik started at his side, motioning to the terminal. "It says Master Controls." That sounded promising and the moment it was done Link took the slate from the terminal and the two of them looked it over. "And true enough, it looks like we can control parts of Vah Ruta with this." 

_Good, you've obtained the map of the Divine Beast. You will see several glowing points on the map which represent the terminals that control Ruta. Take Ruta back by activating the terminals. Be careful._

"So, what did the Princess say this time." Sheik had wandered away while he was listening, the other now standing in the room they were previously in. Link hurried out after him and offered the Sheikah Slate back. 

"We have to activate the terminals highlighted on the map to take Vah Ruta back." 

"I thought so. There are five that I saw, two in the middle. One in the lower half. One in the head and then one at the top of the trunk." He tapped his fingers against the slate and looked to Link. "Well, I guess we start in the middle?" That sounded good to Link. He gave a single nod and the two of them started for the first dot on the map. 

The terminal was straight forward, a puzzle Link had seen from the shrines. He took the Sheikah slate, activated magnesis and started to turn the gears. "I'm glad you came in here with me, you know. It's just… nice." To not be alone, to not be expected to do all of this on his own. He had worried Sheik would have stayed outside and just waited with the others for him to return. 

"I did this before." He's turned his head away from Link and watched the gears move, a rather hollow look in his eyes. "Stayed outside, usually in a tree, for hours or days. Just hoping the Hero managed to come back out. I did as they told me. I took him there and left him to do his job. It seems so cowardly now." Link pauses in raising the terminal and glances over to the other. Sheik's still not looking at him. "In the end no matter how you look at it, he was a child we abandoned to the ways of the world." 

He swallows and turns back to the gears, spinning the Sheikah Slate to finish raising the terminal. "You haven't told me much about him." 

The Sheikah slate stops and the terminal activates. Link jumped over to it and tapped the front of the slate to the glowing pad. He passed the Sheikah slate back over to Sheik who pulled the map back up. 

"I suppose we have time, do you want to hear the story?" He did, he truly did, so Link gave a quick nod. "This way, the other two terminals are upstairs." There really wasn't many monsters here, and nothing too difficult his bow couldn't take out. So as Sheik followed the map to find the terminals Link took out the blights and small guardians. 

"That name of the forest we were in, do you remember what it was?"

"The Lost Woods?" Which certainly lived up to its name. 

Sheik nodded. "It's more than that though, the Lost Woods is only a small portion of that forest. It's true name is the Great Hyrule Forest, or to the people who live there, the Kokiri Forest." 

"The Kokiri? Are they those small plant people that give me seeds if I find them?" Sheik seemed amused by his reply but not for the reasons Link assumed. 

"They were called Kokiri in my time. It sounds like they're playing with you. The Kokiri are very mischievous and playful people. But, they didn't always look like that you know. They took on that form I assume but I can't say why, since it didn't happen during my time. However, they used to look no different than you or I. But they appeared as Children." 

Sheik points and Link turns, seeing the terminal rotating on the wheel in front of them. "I'll freeze the water turning the wheel, just give me a cue when the Terminal is reachable." Sheik moved away to get a better angle with the slate and Link stepped closer to watch the wheel. When it got in place Link waved his hand and Sheik froze the water. He returned to Link's side and passed him the slate. Wading into the water he climbed up onto the wheel and activated the terminal. "The other one is on the other wheel, I can climb up and swing myself into the cage, but we have to get the wheel moving somehow."

"Maybe we can use Vah Ruta?" It took some tinkering but Link found how to get the wheel turning with water from Vah Ruta. The trunk of the elephant Divine Beast rose up over top of its body and poured water down inside to turn the wheel. Sheik propelled himself up using the other wheels and actually threw himself toward the direction of the terminal. It was quite interesting to watch. 

There must have been some normal way to do this, he was probably supposed to stasis the ball that kept falling off of the button and closing the gate to the terminal that was caged inside on the wheel, but Sheik's plan worked too. He waited for a good angle and moment, then swung himself down and right inside. Link couldn't see him at that point but he activated the terminal and the door popped open. Climbing back out Sheik jumped down to Link's side once more and showed him the map. "There are two more. Head and trunk. We can ride the wheel I was just on up and it'll lead us to the trunk. I saw a platform when I was over there." 

They made their way over and Sheik helped Link up onto the wheel. The Sheikah was a lot more agile than Link was. The amount of control and flexibility he had over his body was mind-blowing to Link. They reached the top and Link stretched out his sore muscles from climbing. "Did you train to be that flexible?" 

"Hmm? I did. Though as you saw with the Hinox it has a setback. I'm a bit too light if an enemy catches me, easy to knock over or apparently thrown. I'm better at fighting long range, or with the Lyre. I'm not good with a sword at all." Link won't offer him a weapon then. "It's interesting since my mother's main weapon of choice was a long sword, think you called it a broadsword, and a Naginata. I have no skill with either of those. The broadswords even to heavy for me to use." 

Link nodded and tapped his chin. "What about a bow and arrow?" 

"I'm decent, would still prefer to throw my Dirk's."

It was good to at least have a general understanding of Sheik's combat abilities. He did want to see the other use the Lyre more, he only saw it once and that was after being tossed away from the combat. "So, you were telling me about the Kokiri?" 

"Mm. The Hero of Time was raised with the Kokiri." Link blinked at this sudden information and looked to Sheik in confusion. "No, he wasn't a Kokiri. He was a Hylian. He was just raised among them. When he was twelve he was tasked with a mission from the Princess of collecting the spirit medallions to open the Door of Time." 

The Door of Time? Everything about this guy seemed to revolve around time and yet it seemed that he lost so much of his own life to time. 

"When he collected the last one and returned to tell the Princess, Impa had taken her and escaped the Castle to run from Ganon who had murdered the King. The Princess left behind for him the Ocarina of Time. With the medallions, the Ocarina of Time and the Song of Time he opened the door and found a sword." 

A sword? Link wanted to ask more questions but Sheik moved on, avoiding the subject of it. "When he pulled the sword he was taken to the Sacred Realm where he slept for seven years, until he was old enough to handle the task and the problems of Hyrule." Sheik pauses and pulls out the Sheikah Slate, passing it to Link and motioning to the Elephants trunk. "Yet even if his body matured his mind didn't after sleeping that long. It was a blink of an eye for him, seven long years of suffering for us. It was my job to greet him when he awoke in Hyrule once more." 

It took a bit of walking and balancing for them to get to where the terminal was on the trunk of the Divine Beast. Link was crouching on the ground as he rode the trunk up, slate on the ground to work it and pinned safely by his hand. “What happened?” He asked gently, standing back up and moving to the terminal when it was safe to move. 

“I greeted him, gave him his task, and left. As was my job tasked to me.” Sheik reached behind him and retrieved the Lyre, settling it in his arm with a practiced motion. His right hand plucked at a few strings, testing, and then started a string of notes. It was a nice song, and Link watched him play. Like the last one he did for Link, the Serenade of Water, this one didn’t need him to think the notes through. He played with his eyes closed in a practiced and memorized motion. The Lyre really was his preferred choice of tool it seemed though he was quite sure the instrument was more than just a tool to Sheik. He finished and tucked the Lyre back in place behind him. 

“Was that the first song you taught him?” 

Sheik gave a nod and turned away, looking down below them. “The Prelude of Light. I think we need to go downward now. When you jump you can use the paraglider but I don’t think it’s high enough for that. You’ll be fine if you tuck and roll when you land.” He understood Sheik wanted a break from this topic and would let it drop. Sheik jumped down and Link was right behind him, following him onto the part of the Divine Beast below. He landed as instructed and then stood back up, fixing his hood on top of his head. 

“It’s below us, look. Surrounded by fire.” He got a hum from Sheik and the two of them climbed down into the spot below where they landed. There they found more gears to move and the terminal. Link activated magnesis and opened the area above the both of them creating a window that would then allow Vah Ruta to spray water inside and put the fire out. When he finished Link activated the last terminal with the Sheikah Slate. 

_You activated all the terminals! Now you can start the Main Control Unit. There should be a new glowing mark on your map, you can head there now. Be careful not to let your guard down!_

“Mipha said we’re ready to activate the Main Control Unit of Vah Ruta now. There’s a new mark on the map. Are you ready, Sheik?” Link pulled the map up on the slate as Sheik nodded and once the both of them got a good read on where the mark was on the map they started for there. 

The main terminal room was a large circular room full of ankle deep water. Sheik pulled the slate from him and looked up to the large machine before to Link. Link shrugged and motioned for him to go for it. He stepped up to it and reached his hand out, tapping the Sheikah Slate to the terminal. Neither one of them expected the machine to explode in what looked like malice from a blight. Link definitely hadn’t expected it to seemingly absorb Sheik. It wrapped around him entirely and seemed to sink down into his body. Link started running toward him the second Sheik screamed in pain but the moment he got close enough something came out from the malice and took form in the room. 

_Link, be careful. That is one of Ganon’s monsters. I gave it everything I had and yet… it appeared to be my demise a hundred years ago. But, I think you are well prepared for this moment. I believe in you!_

Monster first, apparently, Sheik later. He reached behind his back and pulled out his traveler's sword, readying his shield. As he ran toward the creature Mipha spoke again and warned him of the spears reach. Fortunately, he had good practice dodging those things from the guardians. He leaped to the side to avoid the hit and rushed forward to hit the Waterblight with a series of sword slashes. 

When he got enough in, the monster teleported away, in the same form of magic that Link used when he teleported with the slate. It must have absorbed the Sheikah magic from the Divine Beast, that was how Ganon had control of them by infecting them with the blights and merging with the machines. Link turned around and found the monster with ease once more, rolling to the side to avoid a hit from the spear. Climbing to his feet he rushed at the monster again, slid in the water and used the motion to propel himself into the blight. He slashed at it with his sword again until it teleported away from him. 

This time he gave a loud cry and began raising the water level in the room. Thankfully there were four pillars to stand on and Link climbed onto one of them. His gaze sought out Sheik in the water, mostly afraid that he’d end up drowning being unconscious. 

_Be careful Link, there isn’t much room to move around. Your friend is safe._

Well, that was reassuring. He turned his gaze to the monster only to find himself smacked and thrown into the wall with a ball of ice. Sliding down the wall into the water his head spun and ached with pain. He tried to collect himself as quickly as he could and swam back to the platform, pulling himself up onto it and coughing up water. He didn’t have the Sheikah slate so he’d have to make an effort to avoid those. Not that using the slate and trying to dodge is ever a good tactic in battle. To many buttons and to much concentration. 

Settling for his bow instead he pulled a few arrows out and took aim. Using those he took out the remaining blocks of ice and then aimed for the creature's eye. Two hits and it fell to the ground. Mipha yelled for him to attack and Link took her advice, swimming to the next platform and swiping at the blight with his sword. 

Waterblight Ganon went down with a cry and Link took the few seconds to catch his breath, coughing up water into his hand. The platforms returned to the ground as the water level lowered and Link sood up straight. Without waiting he rushed up to the master control unit and Sheik’s body on the ground, falling to his friend's side and grasping his shoulder. He shook Sheik a few times and started to truly worry when he got no response. At least he could see Sheik breathing. 

“Sheik! Come on, get up!” He shook him a bit harder and quickly removed his hand when the Sheikah jerked awake, eyes snapping open. As he moved to sit up Link reached out and assisted him, propping him up against the control unit behind them. “Hey, it’s fine I got the blight. Are you alright?” 

He frowned and rolled his shoulders a few times before giving a nod. “It felt like I got hit by a Goron. All my energy was just zapped from me.” It was definitely more than that, he absorbed malice from the blight. Hopefully it was all gone from Link defeating the Waterblight. “Are you alright?”

“I got distracted and was hit by an ice block, but I’m fine. Might just have a concussion.”

Sheik frowned at that but reluctantly nodded. Reaching down he picked up the Sheikah Slate and passed it to Link. “You should activate the terminal, I’m sure Mipha is tired of waiting.” 

The moment the slate touched the terminal the Divine Beast eagerly took control back over and lit up the normal Sheikah blue. A movement from behind him drew Link’s attention and he turned around, standing partly in front of Sheik and readying himself for another fight. But that wasn’t what came. Instead a Zora who mirrored her own statue at Zora’s Domain stood before them. 

“Thank you, Link and Sheik. Because of your courage my spirit is now free. And Ruta. So thank you. For I am now allowed by this freedom to be with you once again.” Sheik climbed slowly to his feet from behind Link, taking slow and deep breaths as if he was still in pain. Once he was standing he stood beside Link and looked to Mipha. “Since I am now a spirit my healing power would be wasted on me. I have no need of it. So therefore… I would like you to have it. Please accept Mipha’s Grace.”

She put her hands together as if to pray and then sent a glowing ball of light into Link’s chest. It was warm and soothed whatever pains he had from the fight instantly. Link blinked and briefly placed his hand against his chest before looking back to Mipha. “Yesterday, I was awash in a pool of tears. I had nearly given up hope and resigned myself to being trapped here, as a spirit, for the rest of eternity. But now you’re here. All this time my hope was to see you once more, Link. Please promise me you will not hesitate to call upon my power if you ever find yourself in need. Knowing that will let my spirit rest in peace.” He gave a quick nod, wanting to reassure her that if that was all she wanted from him he would of course grant it. “I must go now. Ruta and I have our own duty to fulfill. We both are honored to play the role of support. We’ll annihilate Ganon together. Farewell. Save her, Link. Save the Princess. Save our Zelda.” 

A light enveloped them and Link suddenly found himself outside Divine Beast Vah Ruta with Sheik. The Divine Beast was crying once more but more than that it was sinking into the water and moving across Zora’s Domain. Link stumbled in step and took off running, chasing the sight of the Divine beast as far as he could. He spotted it climbing up the mountain side in the distance and taking position on the hightest mountain peak of Zora’s Domain. Once it was settled it picked it’s head up and, like the guardians they fought, shot a red beam of light at the castle. 

Sheik caught up beside him and followed Link’s gaze, looking upward at the Divine Beast and the castle. Giving a small hum he crossed his arms over his chest and nodded. “I see, so her duty and I assume the rest of the Champion’s, is to fire at Ganon at a certain moment during your fight. I can see how the Sheikah would have expected this to go, without the Hero’s return to the world.” 

“What do you mean?” He prompted, turning to face Sheik. 

“It was a theory I had when the Divine Beasts were explained to me. See, the Sheikah are the protectors of the Royal Family, you remember that right?” Link nodded and Sheik motioned toward the Castle. “When Ganon returns to the world it’s said the Princess of Destiny and the Hero are reborn too. However, in the off chance the Hero doesn’t return like the legend says, Hyrule will fall. I’m not sure if it was the Sheikah’s idea, I struggle to see that given we take the legends and duty seriously, or the King’s forced hand. But the Divine Beasts and the Guardian’s would have been a failsafe. Those towers we activate? They’d monitor for Ganon’s activity. Those Guardian’s would patrol and defeat the monsters that Ganon’s return brings with it. The Divine Beasts…” He lifted his head and looked up to Vah Ruta. “Would take aim and destroy him. They’d act as everything the Hero stood for. To defend Hyrule if he didn’t exist.” 

It made sense. So Ganon was always supposed to be defeated by the Hero? By someone like him. Who they had started calling Hero. He didn’t like that. “You said you understood why the Sheikah Slate wouldn’t recognize me, but it would Princess Zelda. Sheik--” 

“We should head back to Zora’s Domain, the pathway is over here, come on.” He was deflecting, he promised Link he’d always answer him honestly if he can. There’s something he’s not telling him. He can tell Sheik’s still hurt though, walking uneven and clenching his hand at his side. He let’s it go for now and follows after his friend. 

They reached the bridge of Zora’s Domain after a few minutes of walking and made their way up to where the King and Prince Sidon were waiting for them. Sheik again stayed below as Link walked up and stood on the platform to address the King. As he did the rest of Zora’s Domain gathered and Sheik vanished among the crowd of Zora. 

The King spoke. “Link! You did well to survive your trial!” Was that what they were calling him saving all of them? A trial? “I have been awaiting your return.” 

“I had help.” He was dragging Sheik into this whether he wanted it or not. “My friend, the Sheikah.” 

“Hmm, of course, and where did the Sheikah Champion go?” There was a stir among the crowd and then Sheik was stumbling forward, shoved by a few Zora as the girls who helped him forward giggled. Sheik shot Link a glare before stepping up beside him and giving the King a bow. “There he is!” The King chuckled and smiled pleasantly at them. “The violent downpour has disappeared,” from beside him Sheik muttered a quiet ‘thank Hylia for that’ and Link smiled. “as has the threat to Zora’s Domain. It is all little more than a bad dream now. Thanks to your efforts, there is no longer any danger of a great flood laying waste to Hyrule. You both have appeased Divine Beast Vah Ruta and thusly saved Zora’s Domain! What you did for us is more than we could have ever expected from you. We are all truly grateful.”

Muzu cleared his threat at the King’s side and raised his head. “Link… I must sincerely apologize for my harsh treatment of you. The whole time, you were truly thinking of Hyrule’s and Lady Mipha’s well-being, just like the rest of us. All the members of our council humbly fold our fins back in gratitude, along with the rest of our people. Perhaps the older generation of Zora, myself included, misunderstood Hylians after all. It would seem so.That said, I would be overjoyed if you could find it in your heart to forgive me. If not now, then perhaps one day.” Link nodded his head to show he truly had no harsh feelings toward Muzu. 

“Link, Sheik! We must reward your efforts!”

“We really don’t want anything Your Highness.” Sheik quickly cut in, seeming as if he was attempting to vanish behind Link. 

“Nonsense! Now then, I implore the both of you to collect the treasure inside that chest over there. It was cherished by Mipha. A momento of sorts. I would like you to have it as a token of our friendship. Please take good care of it. All of the Zora thank you from the depths of our hearts for your heroic and selfless work!” The King turned and looked to his son. “And you too, Sidon. As your father, I am proud of you for fighting the Divine Beast alongside Link. You have grown much recently. I know you will be a worthy heir when your time comes.”

Sidon bowed his head and hid his smile partly. “Father… I… thank you!” 

“The heavy rains have stopped. And the Divine Beast is our ally once more. How glorious! Truly splendid!” 

“Link, Sheik This is wonderful!” They were so happy it was truly contagious. Link was glad that he helped them. He was so distracted watching them all smile and cheer that he missed Prince Sidon move until the Zora was right next to him. Sheik literally twisted out of the way as the Prince moved to grab them, Link ending up the only one with both his hands taken. Prince Sidon shook them so harshly he shook Link’s entire body with it. “Thank you so much! Truly. I could never thank you enough! You helped save our home from vanishing away! This calls for a top-tier expression of gratitude! ZO! ZO! RA RA RA! With all my heart… thank you!” They cheered and clapped and Prince Sidon bowed before both him and Sheik. It was a lot. 

After a few minutes the throne room cleared out, the Zora departing. Muzu moved off mumbling something about ‘repairs to be seen to’ and dragging Prince Sidon with him. When they were alone Link moved over to the chest to see what was in it and Sheik stepped up closer to the King. 

“Mm, young Sheikah, you seem to have a question burning in your eyes. Please, do not hesitate to ask it. After everything you’ve done for us answering whatever you seek is the least I can do. I know we did not have much to offer you in exchange for your assistance.” 

“I don’t need anything from you, truly I assisted Link because I wanted to… and because a dear friend asked me to. But you’re right, I do have a question.” Link lifted the trident from the chest, wondering how they even got it in there considering it was nearly as long as his body, and stood up. 

“Please, ask your question then. Do not worry.” 

Sheik took an audible breath and Link turned to look at him curiously. “I noticed you have a river and a mountain named after one of the older Zora Princess’s. And I noticed the Divine Beast shares a strikingly similar name to her. She was named Princess Ruto, daughter of the Zora King Do Bon. He was the sixteenth Zora King. They were alive during the Era of the legend of the Hero of Time.” 

“The more you talk the more it brings back a memory. Yes, most the area’s in Zora’s Domain are named after eventful people in our history. Yet, though I know the people you speak of, you have yet to ask your question.” 

Sheik held the King’s gaze unflinching though he seemed to hesitate in voicing his question. Finally, after a few moments, he seemed to gather his courage and spoke. “Do you know what happened to her?” 

“According to our history she died. King Do Bon had more children and the throne was eventually passed to one of them. No one knows the exact nature of her death, just that she died young. I’m sure I can have Sidon find the history book if you wish to read more.” 

Sheik shook his head and bowed to the King. “No, but thank you for your patience in answering my question.” Sheik turned to him and motioned toward the spear. “Was that what was in the chest?” Link nodded and followed Sheik when he started to leave the throne room. “We should rest then and figure out our journey tomorrow.”


	4. Travel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! Thank you to everyone who is reading this, commenting nice things and leaving a kudo! I appreciate it so much!

They awoke in the morning and sat near the cooking pot fire beside the inn. Sheik made breakfast and Link cooked some food for traveling. They needed more supplies before heading to the Goron's so Sheik thought they could head down to Hateno Village and find the tower to activate that portion of the map before heading up to Death Mountain. 

As they were alone Link looked up to Sheik and slowly pressed his lips together before speaking. "Yesterday, your question to the King…"

"Princess Ruto was one of the Sage's. I was curious if anything changed but it was just as I thought. When the Hero reset time the Sage's were forgotten by those who couldn't remember the other time. So, to fill the blanks in their memories, they were told they died. At least, I assume." He threw another log on the fire. "When I woke up one of the Sheikah, the few that still existed before Ganon killed us all, told me my mother died. Just like that. As if they were suddenly given the information. It was weird, especially since I knew the truth." 

"Is that when you went to her?" 

Sheik shook his head. "The Shadow Temple is usually a rite of passage for our people. It tells a part of our history after all. We train, sometimes even in there, but you need to reach a certain age. Besides, if the Goddesses didn't approve I wouldn't be allowed to do what I did. So I trained first, for a few years, and then I sought her out. I think she knew I was coming for a while." 

If what he understood of the Sage's were true that wouldn't surprise him. "How old were you?" 

"Sixteen." That was still way too young in Link's opinion. "I wanted to do it quickly before the Princess grew too old or before the King demanded I work in the Castle. I went to the Shadow Temple, to the very end of it, sat in the room there and prayed."

"Prayed?" Link blinked and frowned at Sheik. 

"You can't just enter the Sacred Realm, and you can't just become a sage. You need the approval of the Goddesses." He shrugged and looked to Link. "I fully intended to die there if they ignored me." 

It didn't surprise Link but the direct admission was still startling. "So they answered then, I assume?" 

He nodded slowly and stood from the fire. "And so they answered. What's the quickest place we can get to, to reach Hateno?" 

Link grabbed the Sheikah slate and pulled up the map. "Hmm, Dueling Peaks Stable. From there it's about half a days travel?" Sheik nodded and moved to grasp Link's arm. He pulled the shrine up on the map, clicked it and then let the magic absorb the both of them. They appeared on top of the teleport spot and Sheik stepped away, looking to Link. 

"So, eventually I want to take you somewhere but I don't think you're ready quite yet. Eventually though, we should make a detour somewhere." Link nodded a bit confused but honestly he'd follow Sheik just about anywhere. The amount of trust he had in the man was quite deep. Was this why it was so easy for the Hero of Time to call him his friend and follow his vague directions? 

They walked around the shrine to the edge of the stables, the building being right before the large open field. Link tugged on Sheik's arm to get his attention and pointed to the tower in the distance. They could make their way there and get another map added to the Sheikah slate. "We should be careful though this field has a few active guardians. And not the tiny guardians." Sheik nodded and together they headed toward the stables. "I could get my horse from them, it'll be quicker." 

He was aware of the answer before Sheik even spoke. His expression gave away the great displeasure he had at that idea. "I'm fine with walking." Link would have really liked to look more into that but Sheik was already ten paces ahead of him and walking into the field. Shaking his head he rushed to catch up with Sheik 

The field broke into a forest and they followed the path inside it. It had taken them much longer than it normally did for him and Link would have to get Sheik on a horse at some point, it would make their lives a lot easier. He wondered if Sheik's hatred of horses was for the same reason he detested the paraglider. Horses were better than a paraglider though, he could show him or he could even ride with Link. They'd try next time and he'd start him slow. Link was pretty sure he was considered a decent rider, so Sheik would be safe with him. So long as Sheik trusted him. 

He did, right? Link trusted Sheik. Surely after all of this, the feeling was mutual. 

"Link, up ahead, there's a person." 

He turned his gaze in the direction that Sheik pointed him to and blinked. Indeed there was a person, a girl, and she seemed to be crying. Sheik stopped in front of her and waved to catch her attention. "Are you alright?" 

She sobbed and hiccuped, rubbing her red and swollen face. "I--I need--"

Link blinked and had a sinking feeling in his gut. This was familiar. "Need what?" He prompted, reaching for his sword.

"I need--roasted salmon!" Shit. She picked her head up and grinned a rotten look. "And the Hero's life!" She cackled and jumped back, a cloud of smoke appearing around her and taking on the usual form of the Yiga. A normal one at least, not one of the more annoying blademasters. She swung the sickle around and formed a few hand signs and went to thrust it into the ground. 

Sheik jumped back and Link rolled to the side as the Yiga teleported away again. "What the hell is that?" 

"Yiga!" 

"Yiga? The thing I was accused of being before?" 

Oh. Link had forgotten about that and he never had a chance to explain them. Well, he'd do that once they'd chased the footsoldier off. They both hurried to their feet as the Yiga returned and as Link went to grab for his bow and arrow Sheik suddenly started playing music. He stopped moving, turned to look at his companion and watched the other throw his hand forward. Light followed the tips of his fingers, caught the Yiga soldier and brought them to the ground. The Yiga struggled to shake them off, rolling and twisting around yet unable to free himself. Link slowly released bow and stepped over to Sheik's side. 

"Neat trick."

"Doesn't last long." He mutters and then quickly makes his way over to the Yiga, kneeling in front of them. "Hey, you, explain to me what this is. Why are you disgracing the Sheikah Tribe with a mockery of our symbol?" 

"Tch! As if the Sheikah deserve any respect!" She spit toward Sheik's face but it didn't faze him. 

"You use skills our clan has taken hundreds of years to master and you dare say that?" 

"Master Kohga will free us once the Hero is defeated and Ganon is free to rule! No longer will we be outcast and bound to the shadows!" The spell wore off and they leapt away, vanishing in a puff of smoke the same way they always arrive. Sheik stood back up and brushed his clothes off, still frowning. 

"The Yiga are a clan that abandoned the Sheikah Tribe when they were outcast from Hyrule. Impa told me the technology they invented made others fear them. Members of the Sheikah took to living apart from Hyrule, in the mountains where Kakariko is, abandoning their technology and the others that didn't agree with that became the Yiga." He picked the dropped bananas and rupees up, slipping them into his bag. When he turned back around Sheik was still staring at the spot the Yiga was in. "You okay Sheik?"

"It's always the same." Link blinked and the other turned away from him, pulling his braid over his shoulder and picking the leaves from it. "What happens. It's always the same it seems. Eventually maybe they'll succeed in finishing off our tribe. We don't learn from history and it repeats itself. And even if we do learn, it seems it still repeats. What a vicious, endless, cycle." 

"You mentioned before that the Shadow Temple was a mass grave for your people." He clenched his first at his side and waited, seeing if Sheik would elaborate. The other was working his fingers through his braid, undoing it and brushing out the stray locks. He turned back around and looked to Link, giving a slow nod. 

"We should continue, I can explain as we walk, no use in standing here and burning sunlight." Together they made their way back on the path, walking beside each other. Link kept an eye out for monsters and Sheik redid the braid in his hair, nimble fingers moving through the task easily. "I told you we were the royal family's greatest weapon and their greatest fear. It's always been like that. There was a war before I was born, between the Hylians and the Sheikah. They thought we were becoming a problem, aiming to rise against them. They assumed the worst of us. They wanted to keep control of us, wanted to make sure we knew our place." He looked up toward the tower and started in the direction of it again. His tone was cold and factual, as if he wasn't talking about his own family but just telling a story. He was using the task of finding the tower to distract himself from what he was saying. 

"Impa said they came at night, no warning. They'd executed the Sheikah that worked at the castle, cut their heads right off under claims of treason. Spying on the royal family. They had no proof of course." They moved to the side and walked around the ruins of the old buildings to avoid the moblins lurking around. "They razed the village, dragged the people out into the street. The Sheikah fought back but the King had brought the entire army. No matter how strong we are, we're few compared to a King's army of soldiers." It seemed so excessive and drastic. "Impa said her grandmother hid in the Graveyard, said it was the poorest moment of her life. Where she acted like a coward instead of a Sheikah. She was five." 

Sheik stopped at the edge of a wall and reached up, finding his footing and ascending. Link followed after him and they climbed upward toward the Tower on the top. It wasn't very long up and once Sheik was on solid ground he turned around and helped Link up. They were closer now and Link knew the way to Hateno Village from here. It wouldn't be long now. 

"They left a few alive, not many. And those of us that remained carried the bodies of the deceased Sheikah to the Shadow Temple. There, they buried everyone and created a sign to immortalize the deeds done against them by the Royal Family." 

It was a lot to take in but mostly Link felt sorry for Sheik. He was right, history seemed to repeat itself for the Sheikah. "What did it say?" 

"Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred." It seemed oddly fitting for the story but he can only imagine the pain they were in when they made that. To have your entire history slaughtered in the streets during the night. 

"And yet your mother served the family with loyalty and without resentment. I just find that so hard to believe." He shook his head and looked up to the tower. "What about you, do you hate them?" 

Sheik pulled out a flint from Link's pack and a Dirk from his thigh. He sat the flint down by the thorns that wrapped around the ground and up the tower. Striking the flint he started a small fire and lit the thorns up. "I was raised with the Princess." Link blinked and looked to the other in shock. "We were the same age. Along with the Hero of Time. If he wasn't left to the Kokiri Forest, I bet he would have gotten to know us too." 

The thorns cleared and Sheik moved to climb the tower. Link followed closely behind him and the other continued to explain. "Impa was close to the Princess's mother, who apparently expressed her sadness over what happened to the Sheikah Tribe. I don't remember her well, so I can't say if she was truthful or not. It's why Impa felt so strongly for the Princess. When the Queen died I think Impa filled the role of a mother figure for her." That made sense to Link and even more sense on why she'd carry a lack of hatred for the Royal Family. "Impa was the first one of us to serve the Royal Family after what they did. I think the Queen asked her to guard her daughter when she was born. A favor to a friend you can say." They reached the top and Link took the Sheikah Slate over to the terminal in the center. 

"And she brought you with her?" He asked, tapping the Sheikah slate to the terminal. 

"I was already born then, Impa said. there's a few months apart in our ages." He shrugged and Link took the newly updated map. "She had me follow her around from the moment I could walk and training when I was good enough to carry a weapon." 

Surprise filled Link and he looked to Sheik sharply, eyes wide. Has he never known a moment of peace? 

"The Princess started having visions of the future when she turned eight I think." He frowned thoughtfully and then figured he was close enough if he wasn't correct. "Impa gave me the Lyre then and an old book of songs that the Hero would need to learn. I think I took more of a fondness for playing the Lyre than she expected. Though she scolded me for learning songs not vital to the future of Hyrule." He smiles a bit here and looks away from Link. "I had wanted to play a song with the Hero just for the sake of playing it one day. It's unfortunate I didn't get the chance." 

He wanted to say something, anything to comfort the other but he found himself out of words for it. What did you say to comfort someone in a situation like this? He had nothing. And he hated that. "Sheik--" 

"It's fine, we should keep going. We're almost to Hateno?" 

It wasn't alright. "Sheik." He said the other's name more firmly this time and took a step toward him. Sheik looked to him and Link let out a nervous breath. "It's alright to miss your friends and family." 

He frowned a bit and looked away. "I know that." 

"Do you? Because it doesn't seem that way. You talk like it doesn't concern you. It should. Clearly the Hero meant a lot to you, and it's normal to miss your mother." 

He shook his head, shifted his gaze back to Link. "I barely knew the Hero, I just guided him and I gave my mother a better future than she would have had otherwise. Lost to the history books like everyone else. So it's fine, truly." Shrugging Sheik turned and headed to climb back down. 

Link pressed his lips together, shook his head and reached his hand out to grasp the others wrist. He tugged on him gently to keep him from leaving and to get his attention. "The Hero of Time didn't think that when I talked to him." Sheik paused, body tensing and didn't move. Link took that as his chance. "He asked me to take care of his friend, that he owed you his life. That doesn't strike me as something someone would say if they truly thought nothing of another person." 

He felt like he actually got somewhere, that he picked the right time to say that. However, Link felt his heart clench in his chest when Sheik's arm went lax in his grip and his shoulders began to shake. He swallowed roughly and took a step closer, trying to catch the others gaze. "Sheik? I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you." 

The Sheikah shook his head and the hand that Link wasn't grasping reached up to rub his face. "You didn't. I just--I was so sure he hated me." 

"Why?" He prompted him perhaps with a bit more force than necessary. 

“All I did was lead him into trouble and patch him back up. Who wouldn’t be annoyed with someone for that? Appearing, telling him what to do, teaching him a song and leaving him to the wolves. Sometimes literally.” He gave a humorlessly laugh and rubbed his eyes. Link, at this point, realized Sheik was crying and trying very hard not to. “He tried so many times to get close to me and I ran away.” 

Link saw his point but despite how it looked to Sheik and how it sounded to him, the Hero saw it a completely different way. That was what mattered in the end. “But he thought of you as a friend, Sheik, and despite how it ended for him.” Link squeezed the other’s wrist. “I bet he’s glad he lives on in your memories at the very least. That to the very end he’s a Hero to you. So it’s alright to miss and mourn him.” 

Sheik swallowed and they fell into silence, his face pressed into his free hand and Link still holding the other. He thought this was as far as he’d get, that there would still be this thin wall between them. But then Sheik moved. He turned fully around suddenly and stepped forward, moving his hand from his face to wrap around Link’s neck. He buried his face into the crook of Link’s shoulder and held onto him. It took a few seconds for the shock to leave him but then quickly he wrapped his own arms back around the others waist and held him back. 

It was warm and Sheik’s body felt comfortable against his own, it was nice and he found himself reluctant to let Sheik go. It couldn’t last forever though and Sheik pulled Link a bit closer to him as he spoke. “Thank you.” And then he let go and stepped away. His eyes were a bit red and puffy but he did seem better, lighter, as if a part of himself that he hated so firmly was now let go. 

“We should go now, we’ve wasted quite a bit of time.” This time he agreed and the both of them climbed down the tower to get back to solid land and continued the trek to Hateno Village. It didn’t take too long from there, they could actually have seen Hateno from the tower up the road below. By the time they reached there it was a little past midday and grey clouds were gathering in the sky. 

With a storm coming it was agreed they should take shelter and Sheik started wandering about for somewhere to camp out. Link stopped at the nearby store and with the rupees he had bought some eggs and milk to cook food later and a stack of arrows to replenish his stock. When he wandered back out to find Sheik he located him near the houses in the back with an older man. 

“Mornin’!” They sang, a smile on their face. “Need something from me?” 

Sheik glanced to the house and back to the man. “What are you doing?” 

“My name’s Bolson and in case it’s not obvious, I’m demolishing this vacant house. Times are rough. Not a lot of buyers, y’know?” 

Sheik hummed and folded his arms across his chest. “I can buy it.” At this Link snapped his head over to Sheik, eyes widening. 

Bolson frowned and looked Sheik up and down. “Woah, get a load of young moneybags. Just wants to “buy” it, huh? Okey-doo… let me lay it out for you. See this house? Been vacant for years. So the villagers had a meeting, argued, voted, and decided to tear it down. The demolition costs, with associated fees, permits and other such details… it comes at fifty thousand rupees. So when you say you want to “buy it", you’re talking about fifty thousand rupees… you got that much on you?” 

“I do.” He replied simply, unblinking. 

“Woah ho-ho! Look at you! What a little go-getter! Reminds me of myself back in the day.” Was it him or did Sheik shutter at that comment. “Here’s the deal, just for you! I’ll cut you a special price of three thousand rupees. But! I’m going to need you to bring me thirty wood bundles. Building materials, you know how it is.” 

Sheik frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “But I have--” 

“Hudson! Karson! Stop what you’re doing!” He ignored Sheik, actually just ignored that Sheik had the money, walked around them and left them standing there. 

Sheik huffed out a heavy breath and shook his head. “What a--” He rolls his eyes and turns to Link. “I’m going to go collect wood apparently, because we don’t have enough to do.” 

“Wait, why are we buying a house?” 

Sheik blinked and tilted his head at Link. “Isn't it obvious? We carry so much stuff on us it’s inconvenient. If we had a house we won’t have to keep paying for inns, can store things and have somewhere to wait out when the weather gets bad. There’s a shrine around the corner from here, if you activate it we can just teleport back here. It’s a win-win situation." That was a pretty good idea and if Sheik had the money even better. Link barely had a hundred rupees left so a place he didn't have to pay for to sleep at and to keep him from the cold would be great. Collecting wood was a small price to pay. 

“I’ll go do that shrine and meet you in the woods nearby to collect the wood?” Sheik nodded and they split ways again, Link moving through Hateno Village over to the shrine. It didn’t take him too long to finish the shrine and when he finally managed to collect the spirit orb and leave, Sheik had collected half of the wood needed for Bolson. He had a thin sheet of sweat across his face and body already and was tugging at the neckline of his suit. Link quickly averted his gaze and moved toward another tree, pulling the Woodcutters Axe off from his back. Sheik was right he didn’t do well with heavy things like Axe’s and cutting down trees. 

With the two of them joined together it took the rest of the afternoon to collect the remaining wood needed for Bolson. They bundled up all thirty stacks of wood and tied them together with a rope for easily getting it up to the house. They carried it together and returned to the small fire pit where Bolson and the others sat, dropping it at the man's feet. 

“Hi! You got the thirty wood bundles? Excellent. All I needed to see… good-faith wood. You’re obviously serious about this, and now I know it. So, as promised, I’ll sell you this old house for the law price of three-thousand rupees.” 

Sheik reached into his suit and removed his rupee pouch, pulling out the needed amount and passing it to Bolson’s waiting hands. 

“Thanks for the sweet investment! Spending so much money on anything at your age… it’s just so… studly!” Again, Link swore Sheik shuttered and moved just the slightest bit closer to him. “What a lovely couple buying their first house! Ah, it reminds me of when I was young too. There’s a weapon mount in there that was never sold… consider it a housewarming gift to the newly coupled homeowners. Hope you get some use out of it!” 

Sheik hummed and looked over to the house, their new house, and then turned back to the man on the ground. “There’s no door.” 

“Door was sold! As was most the items in the house. It’s rather vacant.” 

“What price do you want for putting everything back?” 

“Hm…” Bolson squinted at Sheik and glanced toward the house before back to him. “You can buy upgrades! I’ll sell it to you for the price of one thousand rupees! No, for you, a hundred rupees. Just let me know what you want.” 

“I want a door.” He stated, firmly, frowning at the man. “Look, here’s another three thousand rupees just--give us a door and a bed.” He tossed the money down to Bolson’s lap and the man seemed briefly taken aback. He stared at it, looked to Sheik, then to the man on the other side of the fire that was left. Link hadn’t even noticed when the third guy left. 

“Alright. Let me get in the proper mindset.” He cleared his throat and then stood up. “Karson! We are ON!” 

“I’m with you!” 

They got to work and Sheik sat down next to the fire, hands resting in his lap and closing his eyes. Link sat down next to him and watched the boys work, starting with the door that Sheik desperately wanted and moving on. When it got late they joined the two of them at the fire and Link put the food he had to use, cooking not just for Sheik and himself but Bolson and Karson as well. They appreciated the meal after working so hard and Link appreciated the fact the house now had a door. 

At some point he fell asleep, leaning over to the side and head falling onto Sheik’s shoulder. It was a comfortable place to rest and the longer the night went on eventually his head slipped down and landed in his friend’s lap. He stirred briefly when he felt someone run their fingers through his hair and moved closer to the soft feeling, a sigh falling from his lips. 

Link woke to the sound of a hammer and saw, eyes slowly blinking open to the bright sun. When he moved to sit up he realized Sheik’s hand was still resting on top of his head but the other was very clearly asleep. He honestly didn’t think Sheik slept enough, considering how he was always awake when Link woke. He very carefully extracted himself from Sheik trying his best not to disturb him. 

“Good mornin’! You two were asleep or most the mornin’. Have a long day yesterday?” Link nodded to Bolson and rubbed his eyes. “You were quite cute cuddlin’ like that while we were workin’.” He hoped he didn’t react but the steady growing heat to his face he felt definitely declared that he was wrong about that. “Anyway, we’re all done! You bought everythin’ we had to offer so we threw in some free furniture as a thank you!” He sat back down by the fire and left them alone. 

Link turned to wake Sheik but he realized that the conversation had already done that. He stood to his feet and headed to the house leaving Link to hurry after him. He waited at the door for him and once Link was by his side pushed the door open. 

It was nice. There was a decent sized table in the main room and weapon racks off to the sides. A large wooden board hung along the ceiling alight with several lanterns that brightened the place up. Below the stairs that lead to the second level was a small room that opened up to a bathroom with a bath that could be heated up. Link peeked around the crates that were left inside, finding a sizeable amount of storage room in them and a closet he could use to hang some of the extra gear he carried around. 

When he headed back around to find Sheik he located him on the second level leafing through a few books on a bookshelf and at the desk there. It seemed perfect for Sheik. Link can’t see himself using a desk but he could definitely see Sheik at one writing things down. He watched the other pick up one of the random pictures on the table and turn it around a few times before setting it down. 

“Link?” 

“Hm?” He moved over to the bed, larger than a normal one Bolson definitely did that intentionally. 

“Would you take a picture with me?” Of all the favors he ever expected Sheik to ask, especially for his first one, that was never it. Sheik didn’t seem like a picture person. He turned to look at him. “The pictures in here are just of random scenery. It would be nice to display one of us. It is our house, right?” He nodded instantly, eager for the idea of taking a picture with Sheik. “Good. Later though, I’m filthy and the day is still young. We should prepare ourselves for the next Divine Beast and rest well tonight.” 

“Since we’re in Hateno Village we could go see Purah. She can upgrade the Sheikah Slate for us. I’ve been intending to do that but she needed ancient parts to do it. I should have enough now.” 

Sheik frowned a bit and looked to Link confused. “Whose Purah?” 

“Linky you’re back!” Purah jumped up and down joyfully at seeing Link again. The novelty of his arrival quickly vanished through the moment her eyes landed on Sheik. She let out a squeal of delight and rushed over to him, face alight with a smile. “You brought Sheiky with you! Impa told me all about you! Are you really an ancient Sheikah? Can I run a few tests on you? Come sit, sit! I could use some blood--” 

Sheik dodged back and twisted behind Link, glaring at Purah over his shoulder. “You said her appearance would be deceiving before we left. I’m unsure if you meant her age or her cheerful personality that hides her devious means.” Purah puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms over her chest, turning away from Sheik. 

“How rude! Talking about a lady’s age right in front of her! I’ll have you know I’m over a century! And I look fantastic for my age!” 

“You’re a Sheikah, your eyes are red.” 

“You’re a Sheikah and your hair is blonde!” 

They stared at each other for a long moment, as if at a standstill and Link wondered if he should go stand in the corner with Symin and let them work this out. 

“I meant,” Sheik started slowly as if he was actually talking to a child. “Link mentioned that the red eyes of the Sheikah bloodline had all but vanished. Yet, your eyes are red.” 

“Oh!” She hummed and swayed back and forth, grinning. “And I’m the only one in my family with them! Impa’s bloodline is closer to the main branch than I was and yet I’m the one that ended up with them. Interesting that, right?” She smiled widely, clearly pleased with that revelation. 

“I see. Interesting.” He moved out from behind Link, seeming to assess she wasn’t about to pin him down and start hacking parts of his body off to test. 

“And you? Your hair! It works well for you, very pretty, but I am curious!” 

Sheik seemed to think that was fair as he asked about her eyes. “My father was half Hylian. His genetics were stronger than the Sheikah ones. At least that’s what my mother said. I never met him.” 

“Impa said your mother was the Great Impa from legend. Our family is directly descended from her family line.” Link had figured that from how their Impa talked yet Sheik still looked surprised by this revelation. 

“She had more kids?” At this information Sheik moved closer to Purah, like a moth to a flame, and crouched in front of her. “I didn’t know that though I had assumed she would… being one of the last of our tribe.”

Purah smiled a kinder one and hummed to him, nodding her head. “She had two according to our family books. Though records that old are unreliable or illegible. The names for the most part are indescribable, but we think she had a daughter she named Impa, as is tradition for our tribe.” She swayed her body forward and back, smiling wider. “So see? We’re family! No matter how many years pass! So let me run some tests on you!” 

And the moment was ruined. Sheik took several steps back and turned away from Purah. “Link needs some upgrades for the Sheikah slate.” 

“Oh Linky! You know the drill! Which one were you thinking?” 

Link passed her over all the parts that she needed for the three upgrades; bombs, stasis and the camera. She took the parts and set them up for the terminal in the back and then skipped back over to the both of them. “Okay Linky, say snap! Snap, snap, snap!” 

He ignored Sheik’s amused look and raised his voice a small bit. “Snap!”

Purah cheered and jumped up and down, giggling. “Now your turn, Sheiky! Snappy!”

“I’m good.” She puffed her cheeks out at him again, frowning tersely and clenching her small hands. They stared at each other for a long amount of time, Purah unrelenting in what she wanted. Eventually Sheik let out a sigh and looked away. “Snap.” 

“Well break you in eventually, I did Linky. Okay Linky! Let’s upgrade the Sheikah Slate!” Glad for this to be over he quickly headed to the terminal and placed the slate in it. It twisted around, locked in place and upgraded itself. Link took it back when it popped out and turned to Purah. “Where are you guys off to now? Impa said she wanted you to visit soon, she found something for Sheiky for when you guys head to the colder regions.” 

That would have been helpful days ago but he won’t say that. “Oh, we can swing around to Kakariko then tomorrow. If we’re headed that way Sheik we could grab a few towers and shrines on the way.” 

“If you’re going that far you can hit the Rito too!” 

Sheik frowned and folded his arms across his chest. “We intended on heading to Death Mountain though, the Rito’s are on the other side of the map.” 

“True, but since we can teleport all over here now we can head to Death Mountain at any time.” Link didn’t have a problem skipping a place called Death Mountain for the moment. 

“Hmmm. If I can make a suggestion, I’d head to Hebra first. Death Mountain might need more preparation for the heat. You can warm yourself up quicker than you can cool yourself down before you combust!” Purah had a point and Link definitely agreed with her. “There are plants you can gather in Hebra that can be cooked to resist heat. It should help with Death Mountain. Not so much with the flame resistance.” 

Sheik mouthed the word ‘flame’ and it was decided right then and there they’d prepare much more before heading to Death Mountain. They parted with Purah from there, Sheik relenting enough to give her a few strands of hair for her ‘research’. They returned to the house and Sheik started removing the extra bits to his outfit to take a bath. 

“Oh, I could take a look at your back, Sheik.” That shock arrow that hit him still should be looked at though he figured by now if there were lasting effects they’d see them. Still, he wanted a peak at it just to make sure Sheik was alright. Sheik glanced over at him and gave a nod before vanishing into the bathroom to bathe. 

While he was gone Link made use of the cooking pot and made a small meal of seafood fry and some vegetables. He set it up on the table and by the time he was finished the bathroom door opened and Sheik returned. 

He wasn’t wearing the same uniform. He’d lost the Sheikah armor for a blue shirt that still had the Sheikah eye on it and a pair of simple trousers. His face was also notably missing the mask. It was the first time Link had seen the rest of his friends face and he couldn’t help by taking all of it in, every single bit. Sheik had a sharp jaw which he’d noticed even with the mask on but there was a pale pink scar that ran across the left side of his jaw and down his chin. In the corner right side of his mouth rested a small mole. He had a nice face, Link hoped he kept the mask off forever, yet he was weirdly annoyed at the thought of others seeing what was beneath the mask. 

“Impa gave me the clothes before I left. She also offered me a uniform, the ones they wear now? I brought it, just for the chance I might need to wear it.” And now he had a strong desire to see Sheik in the uniform. “I don’t think I’d like it though, it seems bulky.” He shook his head and moved over to the coat rack by the door to hang his cowl and head wrap. “I washed the uniform, it’s hanging in the bathroom. You should wash your clothes too.” 

Link also noticed now that Sheik’s back was to him, that the other’s hair was out of the braid. It was long not kept up like that, the ends of it brushing Sheik’s lower back instead of the middle. It looked soft. “Do you want me to look at your back?” 

He got a small nod in turn and Sheik moved to sit on one of the chairs at the table. He sat on it sideways so that Link could see his back and then grasped the end of the shirt. Pulling it up over his back he held it so Link could easily see where the arrow hit. 

It left a scar, a spiderweb like spread of marks from the center point where the arrow clearly hit. It was the newest one of what looked like many stretching out across Sheik’s skin. It wasn’t just his back either, he could see the pale scars moving across the other's side and vanishing to where he couldn’t see Sheik’s chest. 

Link moved closer and reached his hand out, fingertips touching the edge of the largest scar and following it up from Sheik’s lower back to his right shoulder blade. He felt Sheik shutter beneath his hand and yet didn’t stop. “It left a scar.” He replied, mouth moving on auto. 

“So not much different than the others.” Sheik tugged his shirt down and Link took his hand back, dropping it to his side. “It’s fine, I know I have a lot of them. Some are sensitive and some make it so I can’t even feel that part of my skin. I had more before, during the time of Ganon. Most of these ones are from training or fighting my way through the Shadow Temple.” Training. How hard was he pushing himself that he got that many scars? 

“Sheik--” 

“It’s hard. Waking up twelve years old and having two conflicting sets of memories. Remembering things no one else does.” He shakes his head and Link watches him silently. “You remember your body moving a specific way but can’t get it to do that again. Your limbs are too short, reaction times slower. I made a lot of mistakes, picked fights with the Hyrule guards, acted out. It took about a year for my brain and body to finally catch up with each other. I heard by that time the Hero had left Hyrule. I had asked… a mutual friend of ours.” He didn’t mean the Princess, if he had he would have said so. So who? “I wonder a lot what happened to him.” He sat up straighter and moved the chair closer to the table. “Go shower Link, you’ll feel better.” 

It was interesting to him, how conflicting their situations seemed. Link had no memories and Sheik had too many. He hated not being able to remember things when people bring it up and Sheik seemed exhausted from everything he did remember. He wondered if there was a balance for them, if Link would feel better if he could remember certain things. But he liked making new memories with Sheik and he wanted those to take priority over what he didn’t remember. 

Link took his time bathing, washing the dirt and grime from his body. As Sheik suggested he washed the Hylian clothes he favored and hung them up to dry, tugging on his red shirt and extra trousers he had. Clean and dressed he returned to where Sheik was still at the table, food still sitting in front of him. When Link sat down he started to eat and they finished off the meal in a comfortable and thoughtful silence. 

"When we take a picture I think I should be able to get it off of the Sheikah Slate with one of the towers. When you're connected to them I found a display setting that lets me access a few extra prompts. Like, for example, there's a setting I can use that displays all the unactivated shrines in the nearest vicinity." 

Link blinked at this and looked to Sheik surprised. "Really?" 

Sheik nodded and sat his utensils down on the empty plate. "The towers run off of Sheikah Magic, scanning the area is how it shows you the map. It can locate a number of things. However, once you disconnect the Sheikah Slate from the tower you're cut off from that source of information. You'll have to mark them on the map if you want to keep track of them." He did, those spirit orbs were useful. Not to mention being able to travel about to the nearest area was useful. 

"Speaking of Sheikah Magic, that Waterblight I fought in Vah Ruta. It teleported like we do when using the Sheikah slate." He sat his own plate aside and leaned onto the table. "I assumed that was how it was controlling Vah Ruta, by infusing itself into the magic and technology the Divine Beast used." 

Sheik frowned thoughtfully, which he could now see and agreed with himself it was a nice look. Sheik was more expressive without the mask, probably so used to having his face hidden he didn't think about it. "I see, so that's what happened. When it latched onto me it drained me of my own energy, trying to steal my magic like it did the Divine Beast." That sounded horrifying. "I'll have to be more careful around the blights in the next Divine Beasts. Especially if I want to be awake to help you." Link didn't care if he was helpful or not he just wanted Sheik to be okay. 

Sheik stood and collected their plates, taking them over to the basin of water Link had filled from the well. He rinsed and washed them before hanging the plates up on the rack. 

"I assume you're fine sharing the bed after how many nights we spent in the woods?" Link was indeed more than fine sharing the bed. He gave a simple nod. "Good, let's go then the more sleep we get the more we'll be ready for the day." 

He followed Sheik upstairs and the other climbed into the bed, leaving enough room for Link to join him. The bed was a decent size, enough for them to have space between them and the blankets Bolson got were warm and heavy. Sheik made sure the window was closed and locked before getting comfortable under the blanket and rolling onto his side. 

When Link woke in the morning it was to feeling more than comfortable and wrapped around something warm. He slowly blinked his eyes open and found his face buried in a blue fabric. Slowly leaning back he blinked down into the Sheikah eye. It took his brain a moment to connect the shirt with the person who wore it. Apparently in his sleep he had rolled over and thrown himself across Sheik. His legs were tangled with the Sheikah's and his face was buried in their shirt. He slowly untangled himself and rolled back over onto his side, face tucking into the mattress. 

He wanted to curl back into Sheik, the bed was cold over here. He must have fallen back asleep because when he opened his eyes he was alone in the bed. Link yawned and climbed to his feet, making the bed quickly and heading downstairs. Sheik's clothes were already gone and Link dressed quickly before heading outside. 

His friend was dressed impeccably and as always, mask, cowl and head wrap back in place. His hair was braided and the weight back in it, the long braid resting over his back once more. Link headed over to his side and lightly bumped his shoulder with the Sheikah's. "Did you sleep well?" He got a hum of confirmation and grinned. "I did too. Buying a house was a good idea. When you're ready we can head to Kakariko? It takes a few days to get there." 

"More sleeping in the woods. Is there a shrine nearby?"

"There is, but when the slate was reset so was my Teleportion for that. I'll have to activate it when we get there." He nodded to that information and started down the path to the entrance to Hateno Village. "Impa said she'd find a different method to you recovering your memories. Do you think she did that?" 

Honestly he doubted it was that easy. "Can I ask a question?" Sheik nodded and Link glanced over at him, hoping he didn't upset the other. "If you could forget the events that never came to pass, like everyone else, would you have preferred that?" 

It seemed like such an invasive question. Sheik tended to shut down on him emotionally when they talked about the other time. But he wanted to know and that selfish desire pushed him anyway. To his surprise though, Sheik instantly shook his head. "I wouldn't give up the experiences I had during that time for anything. And the Hero deserves to be remembered by someone for what he did. Do you want your memories back, Link?" 

Unlike Sheik he had to think about his answer to that. It took him a few minutes to collect his thoughts and words and when he was ready to speak Sheik was patiently waiting. Eager to listen to whatever it was Link wanted to talk about. "I don't know. They said I failed them all, in spectacular and ranging ways. Is that… really the person I want to remember being? Who I am now, and who I was then, it feels like completely different people." 

"And you're entitled to feel that way." Sheik shrugged his shoulders and looked over to him again. His eyes seemed so honest and kind as he spoke. It felt like all people did was judge Link. What he did, what he was doing, what he doesn't remember. "It's easier, sometimes, to just go forward rather than backwards. And you can make as many new memories as you want rather than trying to remember the ones you had." He gives a small hum and turns to face Link, catching the Hylian's arm and stopping him from moving. "And if it makes you feel any better at all. I like this you, who you are now, and the memories we're making together." 

It did help. It actually helped a lot. Link felt a smile spread across his face and he gave a content nod. He moved closer to Sheik and threw his arms around the others neck, hanging on to him. He felt Sheik tense for a moment beneath him but slowly his body began to relax and moved his own arms around Link's waist. He held him like they had on top of the Tower, taking comfort in each other's presence. Then Link stepped back and dropped his arms to his side. "Thank you." 

Sheik nodded and Link spotted the growing pink color to his cheeks. He was blushing. Quickly the Sheikah turned away and continued along the path with Link at his side. 

Along the way to Kakariko they stuck to the path. It was a straight clear way to Kakariko if you knew which branch to take when the road diverted off between the stables and Kakariko. Link still intended to get Sheik on a horse but for now he used the spare slow pace to take out a few Bokoblin Camps and the Moblins that walked the roadside. The parts he collected could be sold for some extra money or cooked into potions. The potion thing Link wasn't aware of until Sheik grabbed a Bokoblin horn and tossed it into the cooking pot. The expression of horror he made was apparently quite entertaining to Sheik. 

From his explanation there was an older woman in Kakariko, his Kakariko, that ran a potion shop. When Sheik was hurt and dragged himself in there she'd patch him up with a potion. Sheik had learned a lot from her when it came to brewing potions. It was fascinating watching him cook them. 

Though honestly he found he just liked watching Sheik. The habits that he had, the way he fought, everything about him was interesting. The pieces of his life story he gave to Link in bits and pieces were so fascinating to hear. He experienced far more than Link himself and all of that he carried in him. He might not be as good at fighting as Link but he had the intelligence to think around it. He could work out a strategy to take out an entire camp of Bokoblins and direct Link to the best vantage point, all with a single glance. Link asked him once, when they were working to take out a camp, how he spotted it all. 

Sheik had shrugged and gave what seemed like the most simple answer. "My mother was a war strategist." 

When they took the last break before reaching Kakariko, Sheik had decided to camp in some old ruins of a watch tower. There was a cooking pot left by people before them and it didn't take much to get the small fire going. Thankfully it wasn't that cold out but the fire still helped. Sheik threw some things into the cookpot and started to make a quick stew to feed the both of them. He seemed more comfortable taking his mask down in front of Link now since that night at the house. It was a pleasant thing to notice. 

"Kakariko is just a few hours travel now, but we should rest before getting there. It's dangerous to travel in the dark anyway." That much was true, it was getting so hard to see at one point Link almost walked into a pond. He took the bowl of food Sheik offered and started to eat it as Sheik fumbled with the map on the Sheikah slate, his own bowl beside him. "Whatever Impa wants from us should be fairly easy to handle. You said you wanted to visit the Great Fairy then too. Not to mention we need to grab the shrine there." Another thing he noticed was that Sheik managed time better than him. Link just ran blindly into a town, grabbed what he wanted and then got distracted by everyone and everything. It hadn't been a problem before but now that he was going for the Divine Beasts it was. "It might be best to spend the night in Kakariko and then head to Mount Hebra." 

"Mm. Purah said we should take the time to gather plants in Hebra to withstand the heat of Death Mountain." Sheik nodded to that and Link sat his empty bowl down. "We can gather them while preparing for the Divine Beast." 

"Are we prepared for another Divine Beast? How are your weapons?" 

Link grinned brightly and pat his pack beside him. "Thanks to the camps we took out and the new method of cooking you got," the potions, "I think I'm good. Plus, I have a few guardian weapons from the shrines I took out too. I think I just might need some more arrows more than anything." 

Sheik nodded. "We can stop at the store in Kakariko and buy a few bundles." Not for the first time Link wondered just how much money Sheik had on him. "You should rest, I'll wake you when the sun rises." 

Though the broken down walls kept the worst of the wind off of them, the ground wasn't nearly as comfortable being stone. Link had used a few of the extra clothes he had to cushion himself but if they had the extra money he was going to invest in a blanket. Blankets and towels per Sheik's request from before. Thankfully since Zora's Domain the weather hadn't decided to start pouring down on them again. He somehow got himself comfortable on some straw and old clothes before looking to Sheik. He was in the same place watching the Sheikah Slate, having pulled up some settings on it now that Link couldn't read. He wondered if the Sheikah language on the tablet differed between what they used now. Did the Sheikah language advance since the Ancient Sheikah's? 

"Are you going to sleep, Sheik?" He finally asked, drawing the others red gaze. "I noticed since we left Hateno you haven't slept out here. And I noticed before too when we started traveling you never slept really." 

He shifted his gaze back to the tablet and stared at it. "I don't sleep. Out here, anyway. Habit from following the Hero of Time around. I'd follow him during the day and then at night he'd fall asleep and I'd keep watch. He was reckless. Always leaving himself out in the open." Link blinked at this and opened his mouth to speak but Sheik continued. "When he was inside a village or temple, somewhere I couldn't easily follow, I'd sleep. But never for long and never deeply. Monsters were typically wandering about Hyrule Field." 

It sounded like he trained his body to work on just a few hours of sleep at most. Wasn't that unhealthy and dangerous? No wonder he always looked tired. "You slept well I'm Hateno, I think." 

"I did." The reply was quick and Link got the impression he was smiling. "It was better sharing a bed and being somewhere safer. Behind walls." 

Link felt his face heat and rolled over onto his back. "Oh, sorry about the… clinging thing." 

"Don't be." The reply came softly and when Link looked back up Sheik was watching him once again. "It was easier to sleep because you were closer. I knew you were safe." 

Just the way he said it was enough for Link's heart to skip in his chest, breath catching. He swallowed roughly and rolled back over onto his side, looking at Sheik. "I could… move closer if you think it'll be easier." 

Sheik huffed out a laugh, small and fond. It mad Link's face warmer to hear. He gets a nod in response and the Sheikah slate is moved away along with the empty bowl. Link stood and dragged his makeshift nest over to Sheik's side, sitting down beside him. He wasn't entirely sure how close to get and he didn't want to suffocate Sheik so he attempted to give him some room. But the other's right arm wrapped around his waist and tugged him closer. 

It was comfortable and warm, his body pressed to Sheik's side and head resting on his shoulder. The cowl seemed to add padding for his head to rest on and like this he was quite sure he could fall asleep. 

He doesn't know if Sheik slept but when the sun was up and rising in the sky he found himself being shaken awake. He picked his head up off of Sheik's lap and stretched his body out, a yawn tumbling from his lips. He was still so tired but they weren't doing much today and could rest in the inn. 

They gathered up their supplies and Link slipped the Sheikah slate into the belt at his waist. He'd try and grab a few more shrines on the way to Kakariko, the ones he had marked on the map weren't too far out of the way but not directly near Kakariko either. They had time at least before Impa would probably even be awake to see them. 

When they reached Kakariko it was about midday. They stepped through the gates and headed down the steps toward Impa's house. Dorian and Cado greeted them with happy nods and waves. Link was just glad to not have a repeat of the first time he brought Sheik. Sheik though still didn't seem impressed with them in the least bit. Thankfully he greeted them with a nod and the mask hid whatever distaste was on his face. 

They knocked before opening the doors and Impa sat in her usual seat on top of the pillows. Paya was gone and they hadn't seen her outside, Link assumed she was out and about helping the villagers. Or visiting her Aunt. She did that sometimes from what Impa told him. The old woman smiled brightly and nodded her head in greeting to them. 

"Link, Sheik, I see you got my message. I'm glad you were in Hateno Village. How is your mission going?" 

"Purah says hello." She doesn't, their relationship confuses Link a bit. Impa acts like the older sister but seems exhausted and fond of Purah at the same time. But it was polite. "She… met Sheik."

"She wanted my body parts." Blunt and to the point, Link loved and hated that about Sheik. "She got some hair. But she said you wanted to see us." Impa nods to this and Sheik continues. "We aided the Zora against Divine Beast Vah Ruta. Zora's Domain and by extension all of Hyrule is saved. Flooding was a problem." 

"Oh how wonderful boys! I'm glad you're making progress." Impa grinned widely and pat her knee. "It was worrying considering what befell the Sheikah slate but everything is working out in the end. Though your memories are still a problem Link. I'm not sure what to do more in helping you retrieve them. But, I won't give up just yet. This old woman has a few tricks up her sleeve still." That wasn't as reassuring as she probably hoped it would be. 

Impa moved behind her and pulled out a box, placing it down in her lap. She ran his hands over top of it gently before looking up to Sheik. "I was in storage a few days ago, looking through our records for information on you. Unfortunately as I'm sure you know, most records that old are usually lost to us. There wasn't much." She shakes her head pitifully and sighs. "But, while I was in there. I found this. It belonged to my own grandmother." She smiles and picks the box up, offering it out to Sheik. "You didn't come here with much so it only makes sense that we would assist you as much as we can as a member of the Sheikah Tribe. Sheik, please take this and may it keep you safe in your travels." 

Sheik didn't move for the first few seconds, watching Impa with what absolutely was surprised in his gaze. When he collected himself he slowly stepped forward and reached down, taking the box from Impa and lifting the lid on it. He sat it down beside her and reached inside, removing a long cloak from the box. It was the same dark blue as his uniform with a thin and small grey fur lining. He shook it out and turned it around, looking to the elegantly embroidered red Sheikah Eye threaded into the back of it. Link didn't care much for fashion, he bought whatever looked useful and threw it on. But even he would agree it looked gorgeous. It fit Sheik too, as did anything that seemed Sheikah styled. 

Sheik let out a breath he was holding and looked up to the other. "Are you sure?" 

"It will serve you more out there than it will us here in storage. No one has worn it since my Grandmother. She was an amazing person, that cloak served her well, as I hope it will you." 

Sheik nodded and folded the Cloak gently over his arm, moving back to Link's side. He held it like it was made of glass and Link pitied the first creature that got something on it. Link looked over to Sheik before back to Impa and smiled widely at her. "Don't worry about Sheik, I'm taking good care of him." Sheik elbowed him in the side and huffed out a breath of laughter, face turned away from them. "Thank you, Impa. We'll be taking our leave now." 

Link turned to leave and Sheik gave Impa a deep bow, thanking her again for the Cloak and help she was offering him. Link held the door open for Sheik and they stepped outside together, moving closer to the other's side as they walked through the village. "Are you going to the shrine and the Great Fairy?" Link gave a nod and pointed to the area that led to the back of Kakariko. "Alright, I'm going to the Inn to book our room for the night and then see if I can get us any more supplies." 

Sheik and him split ways and Link climbed the mountain to the Shrine. Having already done this one the moment he tapped the Sheikah slate to it the teleporter lit back up. Satisfied they could quick travel back to Kakariko he headed further into the forest where the Great Fairy spring was. He didn't have much left she could upgrade without finding the other Great Fairy springs but at the very least she added some extra armor to his Hylian set. 

He collected the flowers around himself and whatever was in the trees. Finding some eggs and fruit. He pocketed them all and returned to town, keeping an eye out for Sheik. It wouldn't be hard to spot him here, a single blond head in a sea of white. But he didn't spot the man at all as he headed to the Inn. Yet, as he walked through Shuteye Inn, Ollie happily waved him over and informed him that the inn was paid for already for him. Just one bed though. Link turned to the door and considered going out and searching for Sheik but he knew if the Sheikah didn't want to be found… he wouldn't be. 

Link missed sleeping with Sheik. He tossed and turned during the night until finally getting comfortable enough to pass out. Ollie woke up the next morning when the sun was already high up. Apparently Link was difficult to wake today and Ollie let him sleep in a bit longer. He thanked the Sheikah and gathered his clothes, dragging his Hylian set on, before gathering his bag and weapons.

He headed outside and searched for Sheik instantly, gaze scanning trees and hilltops for him. He twisted around, sighed heavily and then looked away. "Sheik?" 

"Up here." 

He spun around and tilted his head upward, blinking up at the top of the Shuteye Inn where indeed there sat Sheik on top of the building. Link could probably get up there, if he walked around and jumped from the higher level, but Sheik could jump down just as easily. "Are you coming down?" 

His legs swung over the edge of the Inn's roof and Sheik swung himself down, Cloak waving in the wind as Sheik fell. He landed perfectly and straightened his clothes before heading over to where Link was standing. The Cloak wrapped around his entire body and fell against his middle thighs. He looked comfortable, warm, and the Cloak didn't stand out at all against his Sheikah uniform. It added an extra fluidity to his movement, an elegance that Link had noticed before but the Cloak brightened. He liked it. 

"Are you ready to head to Hebra? I did some research on the Rito last night, thanks to the library here." So that's where he was. Did Sheik ever plan on sleeping? If they needed to return to their house for Sheik to sleep he'd more than willingly drag him back there. "The Rito tribe are an aviary species that live in the mountains of Hebra. The archery range is out there and they specialize in the use of bows. Competitive people when it comes to that apparently." Link was going to make a trip over to that for fun. "They also enjoy music, they're a very musically inclined race." Which Impa had mentioned when she informed Sheik of who the Rito were. He remembered. "And, their Divine Beast is called Vah Medoh. It's a bird." 

Link nodded and pulled the Sheikah slate out, bringing up the map. "So, we don't have a map of the area so we can't plan the best course for getting over there. I have a general idea of where Vah Medoh is thanks to the markers. We should get horses though." Sheik's eyebrows knit together in distaste at the idea, head turning away. "Or a horse. You can ride with me. Sheik, it'll take days to walk to Hebra. Days. I promise I'm a good horse ridder." 

"I've never ridden a horse before." Link blinked in shock and gave him a look of disbelief. "All that training and you never learned to ride a horse? I thought you were just afraid of them." 

Sheik shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. "The Hero had a horse, she was very kind and I got along with her just fine. I just don't know how to ride. It wasn't important enough for me to know given my specialty." 

"Well," Link huffed and smiled, putting the Sheikah slate away. "You can just ride with me. Trust me." 

As it turned out Blueberry actually liked Sheik. A lot. She butted her head against him, breathed all over his face and let Sheik offer her an apple. She detested Link at first so he was a bit jealous at how eagerly Blueberry got along with him. He thanked the Stable Hand for bringing Blueberry out and led the horse away down the path a bit. He didn't want to put on a show of getting Sheik on a horse for everyone to see. Clearly Sheik didn't like crowds or being the center of attention. 

He swung himself up onto Blueberry's saddle and held a hand down for Sheik to take. Sheik frowned a bit and then took the Hero's hand and let the other guide him up onto the horses back. He put Sheik in front of him for easier access in keeping an eye on him and took hold of Blueberry's reigns. "Hang on, we're riding through central Hyrule and it's full of Guardians. But it's the shortest way to get toward the mountains." 

Sheik nodded tensely and grasped the front of the saddle tightly in his hands. Link made sure Sheik was ready and then tapped Blueberry to move. 


	5. Vah Medoh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy birthday to me! And happy New Years Eve to all of you! May your 2021 be better than 2020!

Blueberry carried them to Ridgeland Tower in Hyrule Ridge, another one that tested their skills and patients. The Tower was in a pool of deep water surrounded by Wizzrobe's that wielded lightning, along with Lizalfos, all the while in the middle of a thunderstorm. It was far from pleasant and Sheik and Link were thrown from that tower enough times Sheik got irritated. He decided on sending Link ahead up while he distracted and fought the enemies. When they finally knocked that tower off their list they headed to Tabatha Bridge Stable. 

While they camped and rested at the stables Link took the time to clear out a few shrines. He even wandered below the stables to Tangar Canyon. There were several shrines below but when he reached the Forgotten Temple that was just littered with Guardians, he quickly warped back up to the stables. 

The only way across the Canyon safely and with the horse was the Tabatha Great Bridge. Together they crossed that bridge and made their way toward Tabatha Tower which thankfully considering their last tower was a straight climb up to once killing a blight. It wasn’t hard to see Rito Village from there. The Divine Beast Vah Medoh was high in the sky and circling around the entire place, like a beacon in the sky. 

They made their way back down and Blueberry took them over to the next stable where Link left her in their care right outside Rito Village. Once she was taken care of, Link and Sheik started up the winding set of bridges toward Rito Village. 

“Vah Medoh cries a lot more than Vah Ruta did.” Sheik commented, looking up at the Divine Beast as it flew around over them. Sheik was right, since they’ve been here already it’s been yelling several times. Not to mention the way it stalked around in the air was rather terrifying. Vah Ruta tried to drown the Zora’s but this one looked like it was just waiting for a chance to murder the Rito. 

“Do you think we should look for the village head like we did Zora’s Domain?” Sheik nodded and they started up the stairs that wrapped around the mountain the village was built into. 

“According to my research they have a Village Elder. Impa’s books said the current one is named Kaneli. He’ll probably remember you, he’s over a hundred years old.” Great, because that’s what Link wants. “But, he also has some diminishing health issues, especially with his eyesight and memory so don’t count on it.” 

At the very edge of the nest like village sat a large older Rito and Sheik pointed him out to Link. Figuring that was the man they were looking for he stepped into the small open wood area and called out to the older man. “Hello? Pardon my intrusion.” 

The older Rito grumbled and picked his head up seeming to startle from a rest. “Ah, a visitor. Welcome to… oh? Oh! That object at your hip… could it be? Forgive me. Where are my manners? I am Kaneli, elder of Rito Village.” He coughed into his wing and cleared his throat. “Now then… is that not a Sheikah slate at your hip?” Link gave a nod of his head. “Oh, my! So it is true! That means you must be a Champion like Master Revali--one of the few able to board Divine Beast Vah Medoh!” 

A pause in his talking and suddenly Kaneli was mumbling to himself. “No, no. What am I thinking? The Champions have all been dead for a century. This boy must be a mere descendent who inherited the Sheikah Slate.” Well, if that was what he wanted to think Link sure wasn’t going to correct him. It was far less stressful this way. “Ah, forgive me.” He suddenly said and drew Link’s attention back to him. “Descendent of the Champion. If you would listen to this old man’s request, you would have my eternal gratitude.” 

Link nodded again and the old man started to speak. “Thank you. Now that I know you have the blood of a Champion, there is something I must ask you. How to put this… I would like you to deal with Divine Beast Vah Medoh. The giant beast circling above us. Only a chosen one, a Champion, can stop a Divine Beast. You must enter the beast and bend it to your will. I tried explaining this to the more headstrong Rito warriors, but they wouldn’t listen to reason. Teba and Harth tried to confront Medoh but it did not go well, and Harth was injured. Teba escaped unscathed, but I fear he now plans to face Medoh alone. As a descendent of the Champion perhaps you can help us. Please, find Teba. If you work together, you may be able to stop Divine Beast Vah Medoh.” 

Their plight didn’t seem as horrible as the Zora’s was but if Rito were recklessly getting hurt that wasn’t good either. Any one of them could end up getting themselves killed. When he stepped outside the hut Sheik was leaning against the wall watching the both of them. He pushed off and moved to Link’s side, walking beside him. 

“So, Teba. While you were talking with Kaneli, Teba’s wife Saki came over to me. Apparently Teba went off to the Rito Flight Range.” He stopped near the railing and pointed out toward the Mountain’s in the distance. “It’s in Dronoc’s Pass at the base of Hebra Mountains.” He turned back to Link and looked him up and down. “We’ll need to buy you warmer clothes.” 

“I don’t have enough Rupee’s for warmer clothes, Sheik.” Link had, maybe at most, a total of a hundred rupee’s on him. It wasn’t easy to make money currently what he had was from a barrel he kicked over accidentally. 

Sheik didn’t seem bothered by this. “I have money, come on. There’s a shop around the corner that sells Snowquill clothing made by the Rito. It’s soft.” Just what was he doing while Link was getting the Rito’s story? 

Together they headed down the steps to the armor store run by a red feathered Rito named Nekk. Nekk excitedly greeted them and Sheik headed over to the warm looking armor to the left. It looked expensive though. He looked at the price tags and ran a quick mental calculation. Link nearly stumbled over his own feet when the price hit his head and Sheik shoved the armor top in his arms. 

“Excellent choice Master Sheikah! Your Hylian friend will look lovely in the Snowquill set. That will be two-thousand one hundred and fifty rupees.” Sheik pulled out his rupee pouch and passed the money over before depositing it back inside his Cloak. 

“Sheik, this is way too expensive, I don’t even know how to put this headdress on.” Quickly Sheik shook his head and frowned at the clothes in his arms. 

“I can do it.” Sheik nodded his head in thanks to Nekk and left the shop back to the winding pathway. “Should we head back to the stables? I’m not sure sleeping on an open bed with no walls is going to be that comfortable in the mountains. Is it cold up here?” Apparently with the Cloak on it was rather hard for Sheik to tell the temperature change. That was bound to start annoying him, Link was sure, he liked having a hyper awareness to his own surroundings. 

“I’m a little chilly, we can head back down if you want.” 

As they headed back down from Rito Village, Sheik took the pieces of the headdress and tried explaining it to Link. He understood parts of it, that the feathers went behind his ears to wrap around them and provide warmth. They stayed in place by tying around his hair in the front. He could understand that. Expecting him to be able to do it was another thing entirely. Link wasn’t even sure he could braid Sheik’s hair and he really wanted to. 

Once they reached the tables Sheik led Link over to the fire and directed him to sit down in front of it. The light from the fire in the setting evening gave the other's face a soft coloring and Link could swear Sheik’s eyes were glowing. It was almost an ethereal look. He held his breath as Sheik reached his hands out and drew the hood back, unhooking it from his shoulders and setting it behind Link. They’d bathed a couple days ago at the last stable they were in so his hair wasn’t too horrible for Sheik to mess with. At least he hoped so. 

He removed his gloves and sat them with Link’s hood, freeing his hands up to work with and manipulate Link’s hair easier. The fingers that ran through them and arranged his tangled blonde locks were an incredibly familiar feeling. He wondered, since that first night Link fell asleep in Sheik’s lap, if this was something he did more often now when Link was asleep. 

Grabbing the parts to the headdress Sheik arranged the feathers behind his ears, settling them properly in place and dangled the ribbons down. He took the front parts of Link’s hair and as he started to braid them he worked the ties into the strands. It didn’t seem that difficult but Sheik’s fingers were much more trained in the act of something so delicate than Link’s were. 

When he reached the bottom he tied it off with the red gem they came with and took his hands back. Link tilted his head back and forth, finding the weight of the gem odd and yet slightly comfortable. It also gave off a bit of heat of its own which warmed his head and ears. Sheik did the otherside quicker than the first and finished the same way. His fingers brushed against Link’s cheek as he took his hands back and dropped them into his lap. 

He was disappointed it ended so quickly. “Thank you.” His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears and Link turned his head away from Sheik and those piercing eyes. 

“Of course. I like hair so it’s hardly a burden to do yours. My own is more of a pain to manage.” He shook his head. “Tangled mess which is why I keep it braided.” 

“I could help you sometimes. Brush it, I mean. I’m far from capable of braiding.” Sheik smiles in amusement and sits back beside the fire, giving Link some space. “Your hair looks nice… soft.” 

He gets a hum and Sheik takes hold of his braid, dragging it over his shoulder and dropping it against his chest. “I guess so. Better after it’s washed but I try not to wash it that much. Which gets pretty easy when you travel like we do and have no idea when your next bath is.” Both true and a horrifying statement. When Link first left the Great Plateau it had to have been almost two weeks before he got a shower, that entire time was rather difficult to remember too. He was in such a daze and cloud of confusion he ran around for a good while just collecting things and killing monsters. Or getting his ass handed to him by those monsters. 

"Hey, we own a house now." He replied, smiling over to Sheik. "A house, Sheik. We can go back anytime we want a shower." 

Sheik blinked and then smiled softly, fondly, at Link. "You're right, we do. We're homeowners, Link. I hope you don't mind living with me." 

Never. Sheik couldn't do anything that would make him regret or hate living with him. That much he was at least sure of. His fondness for the Sheikah was beyond words. He never wanted Sheik to leave him, not even after this was over. Whenever that might be. They still had a long way to go before he needed to think about that at least. 

When morning came Link found Sheik once again on top of the stables. He seemed to have a fondness for high places and Link wondered if it was just a habit. The higher up you were the more of your surroundings you could see. Sheik said he used to watch over the Hero of Time, he could see the other doing that by hiding in the trees. He moved back from underneath the awning of the stables until Sheik could properly see him and then waved. Sheik picked his head up from the Sheikah slate and then stood up, flipping off of the roof of the stables and landing on his feet. He checked the Sheikah slate as he walked over, joining Link at his side. 

"So, from where we are now, the Flight Range is directly across from us on the other side of Rito Village." So it wasn't actually that far away, convenient. "If we just follow this path here around the side of Rito Village, we should find it easily." The slate was turned around and passed to Link. Sheik had made a series of marks on it with the pin points and even drawn a line to where they were going. He really could work this thing better than Link.

"Why does this sound too easy?" 

"I don't think your challenge will be getting to the flight range." Link blinked and looked up to Sheik's eyes. "It's going to be getting Teba to agree to assist you." That made a lot more sense. He assumed not everyone would be like Prince Sidon, with his bubbly and loud personality. "Especially after failing so many times and getting a friend injured, more than his pride will be wounded." 

"So, from one Warrior to another, what would you say to him, Sheik?" Link turned and started down the path, Sheik falling into step beside him. He spared the other a glance and saw the contemplating look in his eyes. 

"It's not defeat, until you can't get back up." He could see that, for Sheik. The other put so much of himself into everything he did. Even when he was exhausted and couldn't sleep he kept going. He never did anything by half. If he was knocked down he got right back up and kept going. "I'm sure he'll help. Vah Medoh is preventing the Rito from flying, for them that's a rather difficult world for them to accept. With enough logical points, Teba will fight again. He's a warrior, it's what we do." 

"I suppose so. You have more confidence in this than I do. But, you two probably understand each other better than I could." 

"That's not true." Sheik shook his head and turned his gaze over to the other. "You're a warrior at this point too. A hero among us." He smiled gently but Link found himself distasting the title Hero. He didn't feel like a hero, he was just doing what he could with what he had. That didn't make him a hero. Sheik was helping him, would he consider himself a hero? Clearly given the way that he hid about at Zora's Domain, he didn't want any of the credit at all. Since he was helping Link though he definitely felt Sheik deserved to consider himself a part of the team and a part of the credit. 

A tugging on his tunic drew Link to a stop and he turned to look at Sheik. Sheik was motioning to the side among some trees where, snoring loudly and comfortably, was a Hinox. A black one which Link was only slightly sure meant it was stronger than the blue one they took out. "Do you want to fight it?" 

"They drop supplies you need, right? Shouldn't be too difficult. I'll stay in the trees and aim for the eye, distract it, you hit from below. It goes faster if you just slip underneath him I noticed." So long as there wasn't a threat of being stepped on, sat on or grabbed with Sheik playing distraction though it should be fine. 

He gave a quick nod of his head and the two of them split up, Sheik taking for the trees and Link sneaking up beside the Hinox. He looked up at the trees, watched Sheik wave his hand in a signal, and then swung his traveler's sword at the beast. The Hinox swung up to its feet and made a sound of pain, rubbing at it's eye and searching for it's attacker. It honed in on Link and lifted it's hand up, swinging downward as if it was crushing a bug. Link moved his sword up to defend himself and a Dirk flew through the air, hitting the Hinox right in the eye. It fell backwards in pain, reaching up to defend itself and rub it's eye at the same time. Link took the chance to slash at its body, a series of fluid movements until it gained its strength back. 

It was instinct for him to want to move away, to dodge the attacks he knew were coming, but he trusted Sheik. And Sheik's plan was to hit the creature from a distance, to protect Link, and Link was to play close combat. Readying himself he gripped the sword tightly. His body tensed as the Hinox climbed to its feet, searching for Link below him and Sheik in the trees. He spotted Link quicker and focused in on him as another Dirk threw through the air and hit his eyes. Link repeated the process from before and as the Hinox climbed to its feet this time it got the idea to start protecting it's eye. 

It clearly wasn't expecting Sheik to throw himself from the trees and into its head. The entire process was quite interesting to watch, he retrieved his lost weapons from before and dug them up underneath the Hinox's large hand. Sheik thrust then into its singular eye and knocked the great beast to the ground once more. Link startled from his state of watching the Sheikah Warrior and threw himself at the Hinox. It didn't take much more after that, with Sheik on top and Link attacking it's waist the Hinox eventually died and vanished into the cloud of malice Ganon's monsters left behind. 

Sheik stood along the mess and collected his weapons, sliding them into the holders at his thighs. While Link picked through the weapons he gathered up the Hinox parts too and tucked them into his pack. There were a few good decent swords he could use and he replaced them with the damaged ones or the ones he didn't care too much to wield. 

"Alright that's it." He stood up and tested the new bow he got, stretching the string and aiming it. He swung it up onto his back and turned to Sheik. "It's a Sheikah bow, it has a sight on it that lets you aim better from a distance." 

Sheik blinked and tilted his head, a curious look. "Interesting. How weapons have progressed since the Hero of Time. However, you need to learn to sharpen your weapons so they don't dull as much and how to better move your body. If you have better body mechanics when swinging your sword around you won't break them as much." Oh, that would be incredibly useful. "You put too much force on your hands and that puts pressure on the sword's blade. Which, when struck at a certain point, damages the blade and eventually destroys it." Was that why he went through weapons like water? 

"Could you show me?" He questioned, looking to the other hopefully. 

Sheik frowned a bit and adjusted the Cloak on his shoulders, offering a shrug. "I'm not a great swordsman, as I told you, but I know how to do it. I'm not sure I can offer you much, just better stancing." 

"I'm fine with anything you can teach me." The reply came quick and loud, Link excited over the prospect of anyone teaching him something that wasn't a machine or a voice in his head. 

Sheik huffed a laugh, probably at his over eagerness and nodded. "Later then. We still need to finish our job here and finding Teba is more important." That was a little disappointing but at the very least he understood. Giving a nod they returned to the roadside and continued to follow it around Rito Village. While walking he stumbled across a flower and directed Sheik into chasing it. The other gave him a bewildered look before doing as instructed and chasing the flower. When the flower finally stopped moving a puff of smoke appeared and the Korok popped into existence. 

"Ya-tah! You found me! Oh, you can see me? You're not Hetsu, or Link." The Korok tilted it's leafy face side to side and Link stepped up beside Sheik. "Link! A friend of yours? You're still taking the seeds to Hetsu right?" 

"Hetsu said he was going home, but yeah I can. This is Sheik." 

"Hello Sheik! We're playing a game with Hetsu! He needs the seeds for his maracas, so if you can find us, collect them! Then, take them to Hetsu! He said he'd reward Link by magically expanding his bag!" 

"Well, isn't that convenient." He placed his right hand on his hip and shook his head. "The Kokiri never change." Link took the small seed and slipped it into the pouch he bought for them and the Korok vanished. 

"I don't actually know where they come from, I just found one after helping Hetsu and it turned into this." Link motions vaguely to the spot the Korok was at. 

"The Kokiri? If you remember my story they come from the Lost Words in Great Hyrule Forest. Otherwise known as the Kokiri Forest, or sometimes the Sacred Grove. Though, I think only where the Deku Tree lived it was called that." 

Link blinked and squinted at Sheik. "You lost me." 

"Don't worry about it." A shake of the Sheikah's head and he was turning away, heading back to the path. "It's something I wanted to show you but we need to deal with this first. We'll keep an eye out for the Kokiri though, I like seeing them." 

Back to the path they continued along and the weather began to snow and drop in temperature. Link was glad for the clothes Sheik bought at this point, especially watching the other huddle further into his Cloak. They stopped so Link could grab the Shrine just outside the Archery Range. Again he attempted to drag Sheik inside but he refused, giving vague non-answers that meant he was simply avoiding the topic. He tried to make it quick inside knowing the other was cold and then he returned to Sheik's side. 

"Okay, that was pretty easy." He dusted his pants off and looked to Sheik. "To Teba?" A single nod and together they headed up the pathway. 

Teba was easy to spot. The White Rito was sitting on the ground beside a small fire. He seemed to be fixing a bow in his lap and raised his head when the two of them entered. "Good evening?" Link tried and swore he heard Sheik snort at his side. 

"Yeah? I don't know you. And I'm actually pretty busy here. You should probably go." Well, as starting points went that was pretty poor. Still, Link was determined to not leave here empty handed. Even if he had to sit beside Teba until the other grew tired of him. He took a breath, let it out and calmed his nerves. It was pretty successful. 

"I can help... with Vah Medoh." 

Evidently that was not the right thing to say. Teba picked his head up and looked at Link like he had just offered to string his bow better than he could. Link swallowed and braced himself. "Let me get this straight." Teba snapped, voice clearly full of anger. "Some random Hylian wants to help me bring down Divine Beast Vah Medoh? Something that none of the Rito Warriors had managed to do. What's your name?" 

Lips pressing together he let out a breath he was holding and looked to Teba. "Link, and this here is my friend Sheik." Teba briefly slid his gaze to Sheik before looking back to Link. 

"Hmph." He shifted his bow in his lap, wing covering it. "I'm guessing the Elder sent you here to talk some sense into me?" Link nodded once. "Just like the old man, to trust anyone who wanders into the village. Look, you seem like an alright guy, but let's make one thing clear. I'm not going anywhere. As a Rito Warrior I can't rest until my people are safe. The only way I'm going back into that village is if Divine Beast Vah Medoh falls from the sky. If I have to kill it, so be it." 

"I understand your frustration." Sheik spoke, gaze firm and unblinking as Teba turned his anger to him. "I understand the pain of having to protect the people around you and being unable to. I understand failure." Slowly he sunk to the ground and knelt across from Teba, putting himself shorter than the Rito but more at his level. He held the other's gaze and placed his hands in his lap. "Not having the strength to conquer the enemy and getting yourself beat in front of those who look to you for protection. Considering yourself weak and watching your allies fall around you."

Teba shook his head and turned his gaze from Sheik. "You know nothing." 

"You're wrong." Firmly he raised his voice, enough to get Teba to look back at him. "I know what it is to fall and get back up. Because it is the only choice you have to protect those you care about. We are warriors and it doesn't end even if you feel like you can't get back up. You have to, because protecting them is all that matters." Teba didn't reply and Link felt that Sheik had finally gotten through to him. Sheik watched him silently for a few minutes, head still held high and gaze still locked with Teba's, and then he spoke again. "Sometimes when you can't win on your own, warriors have to work together. Have to rely on each other. Link was serious when he said he could help you." 

Teba shook his head and went to speak but Sheik beat him to it. "Listen to me before you object! Do you see the device on his hip?" Reaching out Sheik pointed to the Sheikah Slate. "That device can help Link get inside Divine Beast Vah Medoh. He just needs to get close enough to do it." 

Reaching the end of his speech Teba seemed to take a moment to digest this information. He looked Sheik over, observed the slate, and then let out a long sigh. "I see. If we approach Medoh recklessly, it's cannons will blast us out of the sky before we even get close. So, I think I should test you before I take you with me." Teba motions to the range behind Link and he turns to look out over at it. "We Rito use the updraft in this ravine to hone our Aerial archery skills." 

"I can do it." Link said confidently, turning back to Teba. 

"I like your confidence. Let's see what you're made of. You'll have to maneuver through the air and destroy five of the targets set up in this valley in three minutes or less." Link nodded his head sharply and Teba chuckled. "Go for it then." 

He turned and looked out over at the range, noting with his eyes the targets and where they were at. Knowing that helped him determine where to jump off at and aim. He let out a breath, turned to look at Sheik and with a nod from his friend he turned back around and ran forward. Link jumped off of the end of the planks and threw up his paraglider. It caught the updraft and threw him into the air, lifting him high and evenly with one of the targets. He let go, grabbed his bow and quickly shot it before catching himself with the paraglider again. One down. He turned himself, aimed for the next one, hitting it and then quickly the one below it. Three. His fingers slipped as he tried to grab the paraglider, tips scraping against the bar. His heart skipped and he threw his other hand up, looping the bow over the bar and dragging it back down. Fixing himself he floated toward the back catching the updraft once more and lining himself up. This time he was more careful when he let go, pulling the arrow back and letting it out before loading the next one on and turning to hit the target behind him. He caught himself and drifted back to the starting place. 

Teba and Sheik were standing, watching him with various expressions. Sheik seemed happy, proud and perhaps fond. Teba looked pleased and impressed. It was a nice expression considering the grief he was giving him before. 

"You're a very skilled archer." Surprisingly he was aware of that, Link enjoyed archery. "It was as if time stopped with every arrow you let fly. I have to tell you Link, when you first showed up I thought someone was playing a prank on me. However, after your friend and watching you with the bow, I can tell you're both the real deal. You must have seen some tough battles." He spared Sheik a look who was averting his gaze to the targets behind Link. 

"Hundreds of them." Sheik replied monotoned and Link took a small step toward him. 

"I'd believe it." Teba nodded his head and looked from Sheik back to Link. "I can't help but feel I heard your name somewhere before. But, regardless, if you really want to help me take down Medoh there is no time like the present. I'll get you into position so you can give the cannons all you've got."

"I think that's a good plan. Sheik?" He turned his gaze back to his friend, finding ruby eyes locked with his. 

"I can't fly. I'm very much a ground person. You've got this, there isn't much I can do to help this time." He shook his head almost as if he was disappointed with himself. 

He had a point though, like with Prince Sidon this was going to be a one on one thing with Link and whoever was helping him. At the very least it'll keep Sheik out of the line of fire. "Once I get the teleportation pad working I can come back down and get you." There was no point in rejecting this idea, Link was going to do it regardless. He wanted Sheik up there and with him no matter how they did it. Apparently sensing this Sheik nodded in acceptance. "Alright Teba, let's do this." He turned back to the Rito and grinned. They could do this. 

Flying was not quite the same as surfing with Prince Sidon. There was a greater threat if he fell, a fear Link definitely felt. He tried not looking down but instead at Vah Medoh. "Normal arrows won't put a dent in those cannons, you need to hit them with bomb arrows!" Link nodded and reached up to his quiver, pulling one out. "I have some on me if you run out. They're rare though so don't waste them!" Don't miss, he got it. "Alright, it's showtime!"

The closer they got suddenly Vah Medoh was enveloped in a red glow. "Medoh senses our presence. It has its barrier up again, what a pain. Let's go over the plan. You see those lasers? I'll draw their fire. While I'm doing that, use your bomb arrows to destroy the cannons. Got it so far? Don't bother aiming for anything within Medoh's barrier, it's impenetrable. And whatever you do, don't get close enough to touch it. Got it?" He nodded again and pat Teba's shoulder. "Alright, we can go whenever you're ready." 

"I'm ready." 

"Alright now go blow up those cannons." He threw Link from his back and Link quickly snapped his paraglider up. The updraft caught him and carried him toward the Divine Beast. Teba swopped down below him and drew the attention of the first laser. While it attacked him Link dropped from the sky and pulled his arrows out. He loaded the bomb arrow up, pointed at the first cannon and let it fly. It hit and exploded the cannon upon impact, taking down the first one. He pulled the paraglider back up and caught the drift, sending him far back up into the air. Tilting it forward he used the wind to carry him toward the next target, relying on Teba to distract those lasers from him. It reminded Link of when Sheik and him fought the Hinox, one person covering for him while he attacked. He reached the next cannon and tucked the paraglider back down, pulling out his bow and bomb arrow as he fell from the sky. Lining it up he pulled the arrow back on the string, aimed and let it fly. Another explosion and he heard Teba call out that they had one more to go as he caught himself with the paraglider. 

Flying around to the other side of the Divine Beast he got himself as close to the cannon as he could and dropped, grabbing his bow and aiming the final arrow. As he let it go the laser took aim at Teba and he watched the Rito get hit in the left thigh. Teba cursed and wavered in the air, distracting Link enough he didn't notice the barrier on Medoh drop or remember to grab his paraglider. Teba swept in low and caught Link on his back, face scrunched up in pain. "Well done Link, that thing is history."

"You're hurt!" Bad too, Link could see he was bleeding and that the gash went quite deep. 

"Yeah, I got hit pretty badly. I'm going to fly you to the landing pad there and then… return to the flight range. Good luck, it's all you!" He tossed Link down onto Medoh's back. Link landed and turned around, watching Teba throw him a thumbs up before flying off. He waved and turned, looking around and spotting the terminal for the teleporter just in front of them. He headed over and pulled the Sheikah slate out, tapping it to the terminal and activating it. 

Well now. I've seen that face before. I had a feeling you would show up eventually. But making me wait a hundred years is a bit… indulgent. You're here to wrest control of Medoh away from Ganon, correct? If so, then the first thing you'll want to do is find yourself a map. 

Link stepped around to peek inside the Divine Beast, spotting the first terminal in the back. 

That Guidance Stone has the information for the layout of the Divine Beast. Can you make it there? 

The voice fell quiet and Link realized that never once had someone told him the name of the Rito Champion or their story. He was sure he heard the Elder mumble it, but he hadn't coherently heard it. It didn't help, he didn't remember them either. Well, at least he made it here. Shaking his head he turned around and pulled out the Sheikah Slate. He tapped the map a few times until he got Rito Village pulled back up. He hit the teleporter for the shrine there and let the magic take him back to the Village below. When he appeared he glanced around and quickly located Sheik leaning against the fence. When he headed over to the other Sheik smiled to him, eyes lighting up and pushed away from the fence. 

"You did a great job. Don't worry, Teba made it to the flight range, I watched him. He didn't want help though." That doesn't surprise Link, he was a proud Rito Warrior. 

"Great, that's great. I was so worried. Getting hit by one of those lasers isn't a joke. I've come close, way too many times. The first time one of them activated near me I think I had a heart attack." He shook his head and breathed out a sigh of relief before smiling too Sheik. "Well, Vah Medoh is activated, ready?" He offered his hand out and Sheik stepped forward, placing his palm in Link's hand. He was so happy to not have to be doing this alone anymore. He hoped Sheik knew that. 

They stepped through the entrance to Vah Medoh and Link pointed out the guidance terminal to Sheik. "Do you know anything about the Rito Champion?" 

"Mm, his name was Revali." So Sheik did do research while he was up here with Teba, or did this come from Kakariko Village? "He was naturally gifted at flying and using a bow. But the people I talked to said he pushed himself to great extremes to try and better himself, often getting injured in the process. That was about all I managed to learn, they revered and loved him to the point they named that landing point in Rito Village after him." That reminded him of Zora's Domain and the statue they had of Mipha or the river they named after the Zora Princess, Ruto. Honestly, Link hoped they never named anything after him. No statue in his honor. 

Link pulled his bow off of his shoulder and shot the Malice eye above them. "I don't remember. I haven't remembered anything so when I heard him speaking, like with Mipha, I wondered what his name was." 

"I see." Sheik leaped across to a platform and turned to face Link. "I wonder if it'll be the same for all of the Divine Beasts. I guess that would make sense, their spirits are bound to the Divine Beasts with a sense of purpose." Grabbing the Sheikah Slate Link used magnesis to move the platform closer to him so he could jump across and stand with Sheik. "Suppose it makes it easier in a way though, we won't have to control these machines personally." 

They took out the Guardian that blocked their path easily and made it across to the Terminal. Link headed over with the Slate and placed it inside the terminal to collect the map for the Divine Beast. 

You'll need to look closely at your map of the Divine Beast. The Terminals that will be used to activate Medoh will be marked with glowing points. You will need to activate all of the Terminals to take back control. Think you're up to it? 

Sheik took the Sheikah Slate and opened the map, looking down at the screen. Moving in closely he pressed himself into Sheik's side and looked down to the map with him. "Hmm it seems the map in this Divine Beast will allow you to tilt Vah Medoh. This will cause platforms and items to drift accordingly I assume. Like those blocks we were standing on before." He pointed to the glowing spots. "Vah Medoh has five terminals too like Vah Ruta." He closed the slate and handed it back to Link. "Well, let's start down and work our way up. There's a terminal to the left in the wing." 

They made their way to the main room and dropped to the bottom floor. Link took out the blights around and checked for stray chests though he never found anything white useful compared to fighting monsters. Together they headed through the passage on the left side out into the open air. There was an eye in the distance that Link got to use his Sheikah bow to snipe. They stopped in front of a cart and Sheik looked it over before pulling out the slate. "So, if we tilt this it should carry us to the Terminal, right? Link, get inside first." 

He wasn't sure he liked this idea but it did seem right. So he stepped inside the very unsteady looking cage and Sheik pressed in behind him. They stood close together and Sheik looked down to the map. He clicked the purple arrow to change the tilt of Vah Medoh to the top. The effect was instant. Vah Medoh started to shake and adjusted it's flying tilt, moving to the right and knocking the cage to fall downward. It hit hard on the other side, shaking the both of them and nearly throwing Link to the ground. 

Once he got his balance back Link stepped out and hurried up the steps to the terminal. The Sheikah slate activated it and Revali counted down for him just like Mipha had.

"There's a door over here." Link turned to find Sheik indeed standing before a door. He moved to the other's side and together they passed through it. The moment they stepped through an eye above the door swooped down to look at him and made that ugly blinking sound. They moved a bit away and Link took out his bow, taking care of that blight. "Hmm, seems we got a bit of a puzzle Link. There's a large battering ram we move against the wall next to the door and, if you look at the rails there to where this battering ram leads, there is a large glowing switch. And two gates." 

Link also noticed above the rails Sheik pointed to there were two windmills that were also on the rails. So, the only way to lift the gates is to cause the windmills to spin. Link looked around, taking note of each piece of the puzzle and then spotted a nearby switch on the ground. He pulled his sword out and walked over to it. Taking a quick strike of it he heard something behind him open and a sudden gust of wind to blow in. The wind hit the windmills, causing them to spin and finally, causing the gates to open.

The trick here is that clearly they needed to hit the large switch with the battering ram at full force in order to press it all the way down. Link's eyes widened and he turned to Sheik. "We want to start with Vah Medoh tilted down, and then change the tilt up, so the battering ram moves all the way across the rails. I know this will cause the second windmill to move, which will close the gate. But if we use Magnesis to hold it in place, it'll allow the battering ram to hit the switch. At that point we can make a run for the terminal." 

At that point it was just putting the plan into motion. Link stayed by the switch and had Sheik work the slate, timing what they needed in the order it had to be done. When the gates we're finally held open they quickly dashed inside and Sheik sat the slate on the terminal. 

Another one down. 

"Two out of five, not bad." Sheik handed the slate back to Link who slid it into the holder. "I feel we're doing pretty good." 

"It seems more annoying than Ruta was." 

Sheik chuckled in amusement and looked to Link. "I'm just glad we're dry this time." He could second that. 

"We need to return to the main room for the third terminal that I saw, so let's start heading back." They walked together back to the main room and they checked the map again. They needed to go to the other side, through the room there, and then up. He could do that. "I'll have to paraglide over." 

"Or I could jump."

"Or yes, you could show off. I think I'll take the safer way than risking you breaking your ankles if you miss." He got another chuckle from Sheik but the other waved him on, watching from below as Link climbed the ladder. He tilted Vah Medoh a bit with the slate and then paraglided over to the terminal. 

Just two more to go. 

He headed back down to Sheik's side and checked the map. "There's another one in this room."

"It's over there." Sheik pointed in the distance where Link could barely see a glowing ball. "We need to destroy the rock so the ball can move and hit the switch to open the door." That was easy enough and Link followed Sheik's directions to open the door. They collected the fourth terminal. 

"One more. Back to the main room." Sheik nodded and turned, heading with Link back to the main room and down below. They followed the map through a door and then stopped at a gap. Link used the slate to tilt Vah Medoh to an angle that would allow him to paraglide down to the last terminal. Sheik waited behind, clutching the wall and watching Link. He hit the last terminal with the slate. 

That was the last Terminal! Now you need to activate the Main Control Terminal! I want you to take a good look at your map. There should be a new glowing point on there. Well? Flap to it! 

After making his way back to Sheik the two of them hovered over the map and blinked at it. "It's on top." Which, now that Link thinks about it, he saw that when soaring above Vah Medoh. "That makes sense. We can use the airdrafts on the wings to get up. You need to hang onto me, Sheik." They headed to where Link had told him and he stepped into the airdrift. Sheik moved up against his side and wrapped his arms securely around Link's neck. He tried not to think about it, he really did, but his mind kept wandering to how Sheik's body just curved around his own and was so incredibly warm. 

He snapped the paraglider open and soared up to the top level of Vah Medoh. They drifted forward and landed on the fake grass, Sheik let go and stepped back. They both glanced at the terminal in the distance and the Link made an elective decision. "Stay away from it." Sheik didn't even protest, clearly not looking for a repeat of what happened in Vah Ruta. He nodded his head and even took a few steps back, weary of the terminal. He'd mention what happened at some point to Purah and see what she thought. For now, he undoubtedly had a Blight to fight. Grabbing the slate from his hip once more he made his way over to the terminal and then very slowly and cautiously tapped the slate to it. 

Just like before it exploded in malice and the energy from the Divine Beast gathered above Link to take the form of the Blight. Windblight varied from his Water counterpart. Where Vah Ruta's fought with a long spear this one seemed to wield a cannon on its arm. He took a few steps back and Revali's voice carried through his head. 

Good luck! That thing is one of Ganon's own and it plays dirty! It defeated me a hundred years ago but that's just because I was winging it. I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but you must avenge me, Link! 

Right. Easier said than done. Not only did this thing apparently shoot lasers at him but it also summoned twisters, on demand. Link found himself thrown across the field within the first three minutes of the fight and just barely dodging one of the cannon bursts. He hurried to his feet and stepped backwards, left foot slipping against the edge of the terrain. His heart was trapped in his chest, pounding away, and as another blast aimed for him he thought that would be it. 

Sheik grabbed his arm and yanked him to the side, the blast aimed for his body instead clipping his arm and burning his skin. He gasped in pain and stumbled into Sheik's side, looking up at his friend. "Breath. Do you see the air jets around the field?" Link's gaze swept across the area and he nodded. "Use those to get into the air with your paraglider, then shoot it with your bow in the eye. Do you have any bomb arrows left?" Again he nodded. "Use those they'll do more damage. When it's down, like with the Hinox, hit it. I'll try to draw it's attention." It wasn't a bad plan, Sheik's rarely were. He felt a bit more confident with this and stepped away from his friend. "Can you do it, Link?" He fought Waterblight alone but that was because Sheik was hurt and the determination to check his friend was what pushed him then. Now, now he wasn't alone and if he didn't do this, he'd hurt Sheik. He had to do this, to protect Sheik. And, more than that perhaps, he didn't want to disappoint the other. Taking a breath he let it out and nodded. "Then go!" 

They split up and Link took for the air vents around the place. He flew up with the paraglider as Sheik drew it's attention and loaded his arrow. Shooting it in the eye he knocked Windblight down and dropped to the ground. Rushing at it Sheik and him attacked together, slashing at the blight with everything they had. It teleported away last minute and reformed, having them start over. 

They repeated the process until the blight warped to the middle of the field and gave a loud cry. Four small little satellites things popped out from the sides of it and Link frowned at them, watching them fly around with a confused gaze. He honestly had no idea what they were supposed to do and that somehow was more terrifying than if he did. They decided to continue the plan from before, it definitely seemed to be the best strategy so Link headed back to the Airstream and floated upward. They got two good hits in and that was when he learned what their new friends did. 

When Windblight shot his laser from his cannon arm it hit one of the small satellites that then spiderwebbed to the others… and aimed right for Link. There was a small chance of him being able to dodge it but it felt like staring into the eye of a storm, you had no idea which way would be safe. He took a step to the right and felt something collide into the side of his body hard. Sheik's arms wrapped around his waist and the two of them rolled and bounced across the ground. They hit the side of one of the Airstreams, rolled right over it and finally stopped. 

"Get up, Link!" He wanted to, he did, but this was getting exhausting. He propped himself up on his elbows, looked up to the Windblight and found them both pointed at with a red laser. Link was all too familiar with what this was. He tried to stand, not quick enough, and Sheik reached down for his shield. He picked it up, shoved Link behind him and gripped it tightly. The red laser was shot, Link reached for Sheik and at the very last second Sheik swung his arm out and the Knights shield reflected the laser right back at Windblight. 

Sheik dropped the shield and Link forced himself onto his feet, sword in hand as he ran at the monster. He swung his sword up and dove it down into the middle of Windblights eye with everything he had. 

It gave a cry and burst into the cloud of dust like all the other monsters they defeated. Link used the sword to keep himself standing and panted for breath. He closed his eyes and took a moment to steady himself, feeling blood run down his right arm where the laser clipped him and the pain in his leg from where they smashed into the airstream. His entire body had a heartbeat. Forcing himself back up he took the Sheikah slate once more and headed over to the terminal, placing it over the glowing spots and activating the main control unit. The Divine Beast lit up blue and the glowing lights drew his attention behind him. There stood another Rito, who he assumed had to be Revali. 

"Well I'll be plucked. You defeated him, eh? Who would've thought. Well done. Though I thought it was close for a few minutes there. You got lucky, having such a reliable friend by your side. There's something special about him, if he can enter the Divine Beasts, you know." Link hadn't given much thought to it, though considering how many times he was told only the Champions could do that, perhaps he should have. Sheik wasn't exactly normal though, he was a Sage at one point and from a history long since extinct. 

"I suppose I should thank you both now that my spirit is free! This means Medoh can return to its rightful owner! Hmph, don't preen yourself just for doing your job. I do suppose you've proven your value as a warrior. A worrier worthy of my ability! A special skill I have dubbed; Revali's Gale!" Like Mipha he shot a glowing ball of light that hit Link right in the chest. Wind seemed to gather around him suddenly and shot him a good few feet in the air, startling him far more than he would have liked. He fumbled for his balance, twisted in the air and landed in a squat. More warning would have been nice. 

"It's now time to move on and start making preparations for Medoh's strike on Ganon. But only if you think you'll still need my help while you're fighting inside the Castle. Feel free to thank me now." Link nodded his head and little lights started to appear around his body, that same feeling he got when Mipha pushed him from Vah Ruta overcoming his body. "Or, nevermind, just go. Your job is far from finished, you know." He turned his back to Link and mumbled something Link didn't quite catch as he vanished in a flash of light. 

When the light cleared he found himself standing on Revali's landing with Sheik at his side, clutching his left arm and staring up at the sky. Link lifted his own gaze up and watched Vah Medoh get itself properly lined up, crying the same way Vah Ruta had when Mipha took control again. The Divine Beast circled once over and then balanced itself back and flew forward, talons grasping at the head of Rito Village and stopped with its wings spread out. It loaded up a laser and shot it at the castle just as Vah Ruta had. 

"And that's another one down--tch." Link snapped his head over to Sheik and widened his eyes. He looked like he was in pain and Link had never actually seen Sheik look like he was in pain. Exhausted, sure, uncomfortable yes especially after Vah Ruta. But not pain. 

"Are you alright?" 

He nodded his head slowly and Link lowered his gaze down to Sheik's hand that gripped his right arm. It was trembling and clutching the limb to his side. "Didn't exactly have the proper arm equipment on for deflecting a laser. Your gauntlets and bracers are more the type for that." It was impressive, what he did, and probably saved their lives. But Link definitely did not want him to do that again, especially at the risk to his own body. 

"Can I do anything for you?" He stepped toward Sheik and grasped his left elbow, offering support. 

"I'll be fine, I'll take a potion. We should talk to the elder and Saki before we go, make sure Teba's fine." The Rito was indeed fine and had actually returned to his wife Saki. They didn't really want to bother them. She was treating the wound to his thigh that would ground him apparently for a while. It could have been worse, Link thought and left them to it. They needed time to reconcile with each other from what he was getting the idea of. 

He made his way back to the elder Kenali and stepped into the room. The old Rito brightened at the sight of him and chuckled. "You have done it! And you survived, at that!" So he did, though it was thanks to Sheik's help. "You conquered Divine Beast Vah Medoh! To think the beast has taken up roost at the top of the village! It looks simply… divine." Did it? He glanced over to Sheik who shrugged. "If the legends are true, the light from the Divine Beasts will ravage the Calamity. For now, Divine Beast Vah Medoh will become the protector of this village and live on in legend... alongside you." Oh no, no, no he didn't want that. Could they forget that part? Possibly? "Hoo hoo hoo... Oh yes! Of course! I must reward you properly! Feel free to take what you find in that treasure chest. You will get more use out of it than I. What you did was miraculous. Though I should expect nothing less of one from the bloodline of a Champion. Why... you are almost the equal of the very Hylian Champion who fought with Master Revali 100 years ago... All you lack is the sword that seals the darkness. If you had the sword that seals the darkness in your possession, you would be the spitting image…" 

Link frowned at that and the old man mumbled off into some sort of deep thought. Again he looked to Sheik, wondering if he knew what the Rito was talking about, but Sheik wouldn't meet his gaze. Letting it go for now he moved to the chest and collected the bow that undoubtedly belonged to Revali. Like with Mipha's spear he'll store it inside the house, it was the best place for them so he didn't break them. Standing back up he turned to Sheik and followed the other outside the small nest like place. He wondered how the Rito got privacy here, it seemed far to open like Sheik mentioned. No protection from the wind or each other. 

"Sheik." The other turned and blinked over at Link. "Should we go home?" 

His arm still trembled and he still seemed to be in pain, but Sheik smiled at him and nodded his head cheerfully. "Yeah, Link, let's go home." 


	6. Great Forest of Hyrule

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sheik's entire thing with the Hero can be summed up to this: He was a child I abandoned because Mom told me to. 
> 
> Sheik's entire emotional state with the Hero can be summed up to this: regret.

Sheik had definitely not slept for long the majority of the time they were out. When they got home he showered instantly, cooked a few potions and took two of them before collapsing in the bed. He hadn't even dried his hair fully or brushed it, just braided it partly wet and left it like that. While he slept against the wall beneath the window Link took his right arm and looked it over carefully. There was a bright red mark that was welting where the metal from his shield had heated up because of the laser and burned his skin. A similar mark was on Link's shoulder from where he got hit indirectly with it. 

There were still the potions Sheik made him sitting on the bedside table. He would have to take one himself before sleeping. Link had cleaned and bandaged his own wound, since it was just a graze, but Sheik seemed like he damaged muscles inside his arm. He ran the tips of his fingers over Sheik's forearm and felt him shiver on the bed, goosebumps rising against his skin. He hadn't stirred though and Link wondered if those potions had something extra in it to help him sleep. Setting his arm back down Link stood and went to shower himself. He changed into a simple shirt and pants before joining Sheik back upstairs in bed. 

He slept better himself than he had in a long while, not having to worry about getting too close to Sheik at night. 

For once when he woke up he wasn't alone. Link rubbed his face against what he was pillowed on top of, yawned and wiggled a bit closer. When he opened his eyes he found himself blinking down into the thin blue fabric of a shirt with the Sheikah Eye on it. He turned his head a bit and looked up at Sheik, the other still fast asleep. When he tried to move he found that Sheik had actually grabbed hold of Link's shirt, the fabric twisted tightly in his grip. Gently he took the others hand and removed it from his shirt to leave the bed. 

He spent the first half of the morning getting dressed and cooking them a good breakfast, undoubtedly needed after what they experienced yesterday. When he set the table Sheik finally came downstairs, fully dressed in his uniform and mask around his neck. He took a seat at the table and Link sat across from him, gaze searching his body for any sign of pain. "Are you alright?" 

"Yeah, the potions fixed the worst of the damage." He flexed his arm and rotated his wrist. "In a few days I'll have proper strength and control again." 

"That was dangerous. I would really prefer it if you didn't do it again." Link was also determined to not give him the chance to do it again. Even if it meant he had to cover Sheik instead. 

Sheik signed and nudged at his plate, only taking small bites of his food. "I don't intend to, but if I hadn't we would have died." Probably, he wasn't doubting that. But the risk being Sheik wasn't worth it. Link messed up and the fault laid with him, it wasn't Sheik's job to cover for him. "I know you worry though, so I'll try to be more careful." That was more than he could hope for so he would take it. Smiling, he nodded his head and ate his breakfast. 

Sheik cleared the table once they were done, washed the dishes and putting them up to dry. Link hung up Revali's bow, now on the weapon rack like the Mipha's spear. When Sheik joined him at his side he looked over to him. "What are we doing today?"

"I was hoping you would go somewhere with me." 

Sheik wasn't from here, where could he possibly know to go? "Where?" He questioned, turning fully as Sheik's red gaze bore into his own. 

"The Lost Woods." 

It had been a long time, probably even two months at this point, since he was last there. It was weird to think that he felt so close to Sheik and yet he had only been with him for a few months at most. The Lost Woods were their starting point and he hoped it wouldn't be their ending. But, apart from the Hero of Time's grave, he wasn't white sure what else would be there for them. But, Link would go anywhere that Sheik wanted, and he didn't even have to ask honestly. "Sure, did you want to leave now? We can teleport to the Shrine near there outside Woodland Stables." 

"There is no better time than now while we still have daylight." Sheik reached to his neck and tugged his mask up over his face, securing it properly. He did a quick once over of himself and Link before locking their house and moving back to his side. Link took the slate, felt Sheik slip his arm through his own, and pulled up Woodland Stables. 

The weather was cloudy and dreary but it wasn't raining yet even if it looked like it was going to. Sheik stepped away from him and Link quickly moved after, keeping close to his side as they started up the pathway toward the forest. He chanced a look over at his friend and noticed his gaze was firmly set forward, an odd determination to him that Link couldn't quite understand. The closer they got to the forest the more tense he seemed to become but didn't lessen his pace at all. 

"I haven't gotten far in the Lost Woods." Link said suddenly, anything to try and loosen the tension in Sheik's body. He was sure asking what was on the man's mind would get him nowhere, at the very least though they could have a conversation. And, sure enough, at his avoidance of the obvious subject some of the stiffness to his body seemed to relax. Not enough, but Link would take what he could get. 

"It's hard if you don't know your way around. Or, are unfamiliar with the Kokiri." He smiles but it's not the kind Link's used to, this one doesn't reach his eyes and it's hard for him to even tell if it's a smile. The movement beneath his mask is the only clue he gets to if it might be one. "Luckily, I'm one of the former." So he knew his way around the Lost Woods, but was unfamiliar with the Korok? 

They reached the forest, dense fog already curling at their feet as they made their way in. Sheik stopped at the torches, seemed to listen, and then instead of grabbing the fire like Link had tried to do at one point--he turned left. Blindly and in the dark Link would think but Sheik seemed to have no problem at all. He was quiet as he moved and Link felt like it was wrong of him to talk now. Whatever Sheik was doing he seemed to be following something that Link could neither see nor hear. But he wasn't lost, his moves were confident even in the dark and fog covered forward. 

He stopped near a light and Link caught up, standing closely by Sheik's side. His eyes were closed, hands wrapped around the Lyre that Link had never seen him pull out, and suddenly he plucked a few notes on it. The song he played Link had heard before, which shocked him for a moment. It matched the one he had heard play at the Hero's grave. It was perfect, not a note out of place, and when he stopped he seemed to listen to the forest. This time Link heard it, the faint notes in the forest that carried through the trees. Sheik tucked the Lyre back behind his back and moved through the trees again. 

"It's called the Minuet of the Forest." That… was so oddly fitting he couldn't even find words for it. Not that he had to, Sheik didn't seem particularly interested in continuing the conversation. Especially when they reached an opening in the trees, where the fog didn't seem to touch. He stopped right by a tree and motioned for Link to go first. 

He hesitated. He didn't even know why but he did, his gaze focused on the tunnel that led deeper into the forest. Managing another step forward he paused again and looked to Sheik. "Everything's alright, isn't it?" 

This time the smile he gets is one he's used to and Sheik nods his head. "Consider it me… confirming a theory." But, he wouldn't tell Link what that theory was. What if it was a question he could answer? "Link." He blinked and looked back to Sheik. "Stop thinking. The person I'm introducing you too was a friend of mine… and the Hero of Time." Oh, that seemed marginally better yet his heart still pounded away in his chest. Giving a single nod he continued forward with the courage that he had, the courage that drove him at the Divine Beasts and to the tasks asked of him. The courage he hadn't even realized he had when staring a Guardian in the face, inches away and laser focused on his chest. 

As he stepped through the grove the forest lit up brightly, fog vanished and the shrubbery seeming to overtake everything else. The further he went the more things became clear and he could hear Sheik several paces away. He reached the base of a pedestal, where a sword rested partly in. Weirdly, he had the urge to grab it, and resisting that desire was harder than it seemed. Swallowing he put some much needed distance between it and him which was when the giant tree just beyond the resting place of the sword, moved. 

"Who is that...? Did I doze off again? Hrm? Well, well... it's you. You finally decided to return. Better late than never. After 100 years, I'd nearly given up hope on seeing you again. Even my patience has limits, you know… and yet. I sense you're not alone." 

The tree, how it saw Link had no idea, it didn't seem to have normal eyes. Whatever it did though, it found Sheik back near a different smaller tree and called out. "Well, isn't this a surprise. The Korok told me and yet… I had dare not believe it. So you have returned to us as well, Sheikah?" 

Startled Sheik stood up straight and snapped his head to the old tree. "You remember me?" 

It laughed, a soft and wooden sound that was odd to Link's ears. "The look on the boy's face tells me that he has no recollection of me, so I shall introduce myself to you both once. I have watched over Hyrule since time immemorial, I remember every age and every event. Even those that do not come to pass. Many have referred to me over the ages as the Deku Tree." This was the friend that Sheik was referring to? Well, it was probably best he hadn't said so. Link's not sure he would have believed him. "I heard the song you played, Sheik, is it you who guided Link here?" 

"It was. It thought--" he drifts off and whatever he was going to fill it with fell only to the understanding of the Great Deku Tree. 

"You who has looked the Hero of Time in the eyes, who has seen Ganon through years of rule and defeat. You who has personally guided the Hero to his destiny. Do you truly believe this one ready?" 

"It's his. If I'm wrong I don't deserve the titles given to me." Sheik moved and stepped up beside Link, standing beside the sword that had seemed to call to him. He looked Link in the eyes and then reached his hand out, settling the palm over the hilt of the sword and gently curling his fingers around it. "Link, listen to me. This sword carries many names. The Blade of Evil's Bane, the Legendary Sword, the Sword that Seals the Darkness--whatever its name it's come to be called primarily; The Master Sword. And it's been wielded by every Hero before you that has taken on Ganon regardless of his form." 

The Deku Tree cleared his throat. "Believe it or not...it was actually you who wielded that sword 100 years ago." Neither of them had known that but only Link could see the shock that flickered across Sheik's face at that. 

"Then this just furthers my point." Shaking his head he let the sword go and stepped away. "Only the Hero destined to defeat Ganon can remove the sword from its resting place. Not I, nor the Princess, would be able to. Link, I brought you here to test a theory, one that's already been proven by the Deku Tree's words. I want you to pull the Master Sword." 

He'd already figured that. Sheik was wanting to see if he truly was the Hero of this time, this existence, this Ganon's resurrection. It was his task to defeat him, the world had already deemed him a Hero, and this sword was apparently part of a history that had done this hundreds of times over. The swords primary job was to seal Calamity Ganon. Pull the sword, be the Hero. 

He took a few steps forward. "I must warn you to take extreme caution. The sword stands as a test to anyone who would dare attempt to possess it. As you are now, I cannot say whether you are worthy or not. If you sought to free the sword in any sort of weakened state, you would surely lose your life where you stand." Link froze and looked up to the Deku Tree. "Best of luck, young one."

That was perhaps the least reassuring advice anyone could have given him. Link tensed, looked to the sword, and questioned for the first time if he could pull it. What was a weakened state? Was it a weakened sense of mind? Body? The temptation to back away was starting to override the call of the sword. Hands settled along his shoulders and Link snapped his eyes up to the intense red gaze of a maskless Sheik. He'd pulled it down, baring his entire face to Link. It was something he typically only got when they were alone in their home. 

"Link. Remember when I said I wanted to take you somewhere, but I didn't think you were ready?" He did, he remembered that conversation well because it was one of the many that confused him. "You weren't ready then. But now, I know you are." Dropping his hands he slid his finger tips over the others arm to his hands and curled his fingers around Link's hands. He held them gently and Link felt the calloused tips from years of playing the Lyre. 

"Do you think every Hero before you who pulled the sword out was confident? They weren't. When the Hero of Time pulled this sword he was only twelve years old, the last thing he had to be was confident." A light squeeze to his hands and Sheik smiled at him. It was nice to actually be able to see it, he wanted to see it forever. "You don't need to be strong in the mind, you don't need to be confident, and you don't even need to believe in yourself. You need to be strong here." Letting go of the right hand he lifted it up and placed his palm flat over Link's heart. "And I already know you are. I believe in you." 

His heart skipped in his chest and sped up, his eyes widening as he looked into Sheik's unyielding gaze. Even with his memory's being gone, Link was sure that no one had looked at him and believed in him so much as Sheik did in this very moment. There were so many emotions running through him in that moment Link felt overloaded with them. He squeezed the hand that he still held back and gave a nod of his head, hating that to do this Sheik had to move away from him. Of all the things he wanted right now, they could all be summed up as Sheik. He wanted him closer, he wanted to wrap his arms around him, he wanted to take him home. 

And that was when it dawned on him. He liked Sheik. He really liked Sheik. 

Sheik moved back and their hands separated, the other pulling his mask back up and leaving Link standing in front of the sword once more. He stepped up to it, moved both his hands to grasp the hilt, and started to pull. It slipped a bit from the pedestal, inch by inch, until finally it slipped free from the rock completely. The sword seemed to connect to his mind as it threw him into visions of what had to be a memory of the swords, the last few minutes it was with him and the Princess. It showed him when he fell, when he failed Hyrule, and the Princess returning it to the resting place in the woods. 

Snapping back to the present he swung the sword around, getting a feel for it and took the scabbard that Sheik held out to him. He slipped it into place and settled the sword along his back with the others he'd collected. "What you just saw happened where you stand 100 years ago... After you were separated from the sword, the princess thought to bring it here, where she knew that it would be safe under my watch. She continues to fight, trapped deep within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Her heart cascades with faith that you will return. She has a smile like the sun. I would do much to feel its warmth upon me once again." 

He nodded, already set in helping the Princess especially with Sheik so determined to fight along with him. "When used against Calamity Ganon or those tainted by his Malice, the Master Sword will become suffused with holy light. At such times, the true power of the sword will manifest, but be warned. Do not rely too much on its power. If you wield it without need, its power will exhaust and it will no longer be of use to you. Should this happen, you must wait for the sword to recover. It was your partner a century ago, use it with care and wield it bravely for the ones who wait for you." 

That wasn't the most convenient but at the very least it wouldn't break on him like the others. Giving a nod of his head that he understood Link glanced back to the sword and then looked to Sheik. "Young Sheikah Warrior." The both of them turned and looked up to the Deku Tree, listening. "You've done well to guide this one as you had the Hero of Time. We are indebted to you once again. If there is anything you need or wish for, if it is within my power I will assist you." 

Sheik nods and gives the Deku Tree a bow the same as he does for Impa. "Thank you, Great Deku Tree. However, I'm assisting Link because I want to... and because the Hero of Time asked me to." 

"Hmm… I wonder now if one of those reasons outweighs the other. Regardless I am pleased to hear this, my only wish for you is that you find peace within this life." 

"I--I had, before--" There was a crease between his brows, confusion settling across his face. 

The Deku Tree hums, a disbelieving sound. "Of course, you and the Hero of Time." Link got the distinct impression that the Deku Tree was laughing at him. 

Sheik was not as amused as him apparently. "The Hero got the short end of everything. He achieved remarkable things while we used him and lost all of it. He died sad, miserable… and alone." 

"He came back to me once, you know, near the end." Sheik didn't look up, his gaze focused on a spot on the ground. "He was old, tired and as you mentioned… defeated." That didn't improve Sheik's mood at all and Link's hand twitched to reach out to him. Either remove him from this conversation or just hold him, he's unsure which he truly wanted to do. "He asked about you, and when I told him what you did he only seemed to grow more despaired." Sheik's head lifted at this to look at the Deku Tree. "He hadn't known you remembered. Perhaps, if he did, it would have changed something. He had hoped you would have lived a happy and peaceful life. To know you gave yours up in exchange for the Princess's protector, he saw it as yet another failure on his part." 

"That's not--!" 

"I tried to explain to him it was your choice to make. A bargain with the Goddesses. It did little to appease him." Sheik's hands clenched at his side and he dropped his gaze away again. "His last wish was to be buried here, where he had grown, a place he considered home. The Kokiri agreed to his wish. He made peace with himself as must you, he only wished for you to live your best life." 

"I did what I did because the Princess needed Impa more." Sheik had said something similar to him too but this was the first time he honed in on that last word. 

The Deku Tree caught it too. "You value your life so little. I fear it's a trait of your Tribe. Even your mother threw herself before everything that threatened the Princess and she taught you that." 

"Perhaps. But is that not the mindset that kept the Hero alive?" 

A soft hum, neither agreement nor denial. "Even now... you still won't call his name?" 

Sheik turned away from the Deku Tree this time and stepped off of the podium. "If you're finished with Link we have things to do. Thank you for safeguarding the Master Sword, it'll aid Link well against the final battles." Finished with the conversation apparently Sheik wandered into the forest and left Link standing on top of the podium with the Deku Tree. He watched him go, finding Hetsu off to the side as Korok wandered out from hiding. They seemed at ease around him though they still watched Link a bit wairily. 

He was wondering if he should follow Sheik or not when the Deku Tree spoke again. "Young one, should you need the guidance of the Hero of Time again the Korok will lead you willingly to his grave once more. The Master Sword serves as a connection between you, with it at your side once again you may find things easier with him." 

Oh, that was interesting. "Can I ask--is his spirit not at rest?" 

A brief moment of silence, long enough he wondered if he overstepped, but eventually the Deku Tree spoke. "He cannot find peace until his last worry is settled." He didn't need to elaborate, they both knew what that was. 

"I promise to take care of Sheik."

"I do not doubt that. Now go, before he gets annoyed." 

A grin and Link nodded his head before rushing off to where Sheik had gotten himself distracted with a Shrine. Link activated it and quickly did the task inside while Sheik waited. When he returned Sheik guided him over to Hetsu to turn the Korok seeds in much to Hetsu's appreciation. It was the last thing they could seem to do in the Sacred Grove but more than enough for Link. It was decided after dancing with Hetsu they'd return home and rest for a bit before setting off to the Goron's in Death Mountain. 

Link took them back to Hateno Village and Sheik unlocked the house leading Link inside. They hung their weapons and outdoor gear up before cooking something quick to eat for dinner. Afterward they settled in for the night, Sheik behind the desk upstairs and Link on the bed with the Master Sword across his lap. As the Sheikah lost himself in whatever be was reading Link took the time to explore the Master Sword. Out of all the weapons he had collected this one had to be the sharpest and the oldest, a very odd combination for him to think. Did the magic it clearly had be whatever kept it sharp and working? Gave it the power to move time? It just seemed like a sword to him. Was it alive? 

The thought crossed his mind to see what else Sheik knew, since clearly it was more than him when it came to the sword. So he pulled the item closer to him and lifted his head. All thoughts left him. In the time he had lost himself to his ponderings Sheik had let his hair down, the wraps on the desk beside him and had borrowed one of Link's shirts. He hadn't even noticed when the Sheikah moved but his uniform was gone and in exchange was one of Link's old T-Shirts. Since he was broader in the shoulders this one hung looser on him than his own gifted by Impa did. It showed a bit of his collarbone and settled loosely around his hips. The end of the quill he was using pressed against his bottom lip and slowly Sheik blinked at the paper before him. He couldn't understand what Sheik was writing but clearly it held all of his concentration. 

He made expressions like this in the Divine Beasts, when met with the puzzles they had, but they were always hidden by the mask that he wore. Getting to see the emotions he was sure he knew were there without the barrier was a treat for sure. It made him loath the mask a bit more but at the same time he didn't want anyone else to see these expressions. To see Sheik with his hair down and dressed so simply. It was a very selfish part of him, the same part that wondered how close Sheik was to the Hero of Time and what Sheik felt for him. 

There was so much he wanted to know but feared asking. Either for the answer or the reaction Sheik would give to being asked. All the information he got on the Hero of Time always seemed like facts, the bit he had in regards to emotions Sheik felt for him he had to drag out on top of a Tower. It wasn't enough. 

But it was cruel of him to expect more than Sheik was willing or capable of giving. 

He should just be thankful for the fact he had Sheik here, now, and to himself. And he was... so incredibly glad. Having Sheik with him was sometimes the only thing that kept him going. Kept him alive. 

And now, as he realized his feelings for Sheik were passing more than that of friendship, he wanted to keep Sheik happy but more importantly--with him. He didn't want Sheik to go anywhere or to lose him to anyone else, even a dead Hero. 

Slowly and gently he sat the Master Sword aside and moved closer to Sheik, more aware than ever how his body touched the others. His right hand gripped the desk and as he leaned over Sheik, his chest pressed into the others shoulder and head dipped down beside Sheik's cheek. "Can I ask what you're working on?" He questioned, looking the random weird lines over and Sheikah language that was more like drawings to him than words. Sheik gave a quiet hum, the sound reverberating through Link's chest and body. "You're very distracted." He added, trying to pay little attention to how the end of the quill slipped just a bit between the Sheikah's lips. 

"You remember my songs, right?" 

"The ones you played for me?" Sheik nodded his head and pulled the end of the pen from his lips. "Mm. The Minuet of the Forest worked, it didn't do entirely what it's supposed to do, but I didn't play it to teleport, I played it to find my way." So that was what he was doing when he listened, Link should have realized that but he was a bit distracted. "I was writing out the others, and thinking of testing them. I just wanted to see if I remember all of them." There were many pages here, all spread out with drying ink on them. 

"You said they took you to temples before, right? If the temples don't exist, where will they take you?" 

Sheik shook his head and leaned back in the chair, pulling his hair over his shoulder to drape across his chest. It was very distracting, was Sheik always this distracting? "The temples can't just… not exist." Link frowned and Sheik moved to explain. "The temples support the Sacred Realm, the Sacred Realm protects the Triforce. So the temples exist, they might just be buried. In which case, the songs should take me as close to them as they can. It's just a matter of if the magic in the temple still exists, if the Sage's are still praying." 

"You were a Sage, wouldn't you know that?" 

"You would think. Oddly enough my time in the Shadow Temple is a bit of a blur. And it seems to get harder to remember the longer I'm… alive? Awake?" He seemed to struggle for the right word and let his gaze fall to the papers once more. "The safest one to test would be the Prelude of Light." He grabbed a random sheet of paper and sat it in front of him. "This one. It's the first song I taught the Hero of Time too." 

Link tried his best to read it and failed. Something's telling him he didn't even have any musical talent before he lost his memories. "Where does it take you?" 

"The Temple of Time, I saw it on the Sheikah Slate map though it's nowhere near where I remember it being." Link must have made some sort of face because Sheik elaborated. "Hyrule Castle used to be bordered by something called Castle Town. It was exactly what it sounds like. And within Castle Town was the Temple of Time. I suppose Castle Town could have existed a hundred years ago, considering the map has a place called Castle Town Ruins... but the Temple of Time is still weirdly placed to me." He's right, now that Link thinks about it there didn't seem to be anything around it. "Not that placement matters, it's the energy that does. If the Temple of Time is the same as the one the song was written for, it should take me there." 

"Nothing bad will happen if it's not, right?" Like Sheik won't get trapped in a mountain or dropped into a volcano, right? 

Much to Link's relief he shook his head. "No. It just won't work. If the place doesn't exist, isn't accessible or is unsafe, it just won't take me there." A smile flickers across his face here and Sheik looks up to Link. "Not that it matters if they do, I have you and the Sheikah Slate. We're getting good with those shrines. I was just curious."

Link himself smiles at this and nods his head. "Yeah, I'm here for you. Though my musical experience is next to nothing and this is a bunch of pictures to me, just so you know." 

The other chuckles and places his hand over the Lyre on the corner of the desk. "I could teach you. If you're ever curious. Just take it under consideration." He pushes away from the desk and stands, collecting the papers and stacking them together. He tucks them inside one of the books on the desk and centers his Lyre on top. "Did you want to head to bed?" 

It seemed so domestic. Not in a way Link ever considered himself being. Sure, he could see himself living in this very house, in Hateno. But he had never imagined himself living with someone else. Much less someone who was his friend that he just realized he likes. And yet he owned a house with that friend and was sharing a bed. He lets out a quick short breath and nods. "Sure." 

Sheik pulles the ties off of the table and sits on the edge of the bed, expert and elegant fingers putting the braid back in his hair as if it had never left. Link tried to learn how to do it by watching his fingers move but it was far too quick for him to figure out what placement went where and in what order. He didn't put the weight on, Link noticed, was it hard to sleep with? Rolling over onto it surely had to be rather painful and having your head weighed down to sleep probably wasn't ideal. Finished fixing his hair Sheik moved back on the bed and sat in his usual place by the window. After the first night they usually kept it open, he wondered if Sheik liked watching the sky or sitting where someone could sneak in. Was it a him thing or a Warriors instinct? He imagined it was more a Sheik thing. Despite all he said about how difficult it was to sleep outside, he did seem more comfortable in the dark. 

Link got into the bed beside Sheik and laid down, propping his upper body against the headboard with a pillow. The blanket was dragged over their laps and they fell into a comfortable silence. Then Sheik moved and Link turned his head to the side to see the other grab the Master Sword from the end of the bed, where Link had accidentally left it. He settled the blade in his lap, looking the scabbard over and the hilt to where the gold triangle shaped gem rested. He ran his finger tips over the hilt of the blade and then offered the weapon to Link. Gently he took it and placed it next to the bed, close enough to grab it if need be. 

"Can I ask a question?" He always started with this, and someday he was sure Sheik was going to tell him to stop asking that and just ask. Sheik hummed in response. He took the time to gather his courage and then voiced his question. "The Deku Tree, he said that you still wouldn't call the Hero by his name. And I realized that even when talking to me, you never say it. I was just wondering why?" 

Sheik was quiet and Link turned his head to look over at the other, finding him still against the wall, blanket over his lap and watching the sky. He wondered if the other was gathering his courage too, like Link had to. When he finally spoke his voice was quiet and soft, vastly different from the usual monoton he used when talking about stuff like this. "When Impa was training me she taught me that the relationship with the Hero had to be strictly professional. I was to be his guide and nothing else. I couldn't be his friend. She said I was to refer to him by his title and nothing else." That seemed so bizarre to him, he couldn't even imagine how difficult that was. To watch someone so much, help and protect them, to only have to keep it all at a distance. If it was him, in the Hero's place, he would have hated it. "So I suppose, it just never felt right to say his name." 

Even now, the Deku Tree had said. So even after everything, after watching the Hero to the end, after knowing he considered Sheik a friend and cared for him. Even after the Hero was dead. Sheik still refused to say his name. He let the silence lapse over them, watching the blankets and searched for the words to say. Evidently he didn't need to as Sheik spoke again, quieter to the point Link had to lean closer to hear him. "I suppose too, that a part of it was me wanting him to know he was a hero from beginning to end. Even if he failed." 

"Even if he failed?" He might be projecting, but a part of him couldn't help but remember the scene the Master Sword showed him and the Zora adviser Muzu's cruel words. 

Sheik hummed in acknowledgement, gaze still focused on the stars. "A hero to me isn't determined by his success, but the courage in his heart that drives him with the willingness to help others. To attempt to win. There were so many people he helped along the way, at a risk to himself, that makes him a hero to me. Even if he failed in the overall end." 

That would be like Sheik, to see the good in something even if there was failure. The Hero had given everything from the sounds of it and the only person Sheik thought who didn’t do enough, was himself. Though Link and probably even the Hero himself would have objected to that. He was starting to think there was little Sheik could find fault in, unless it himself. Which was something he did have a problem with, if he was honest. Link didn’t want Sheik to find nothing but faults within himself. Everyone had faults of course, Link could think of several alone in himself and one glaring obvious one with Sheik, but there were positives to him too. And those positives he should be able to see easily. 

Link let out a breath and closed his eyes, letting Sheik get comfortable with all the personal questions that he was asking. After the moment settled and he felt Sheik move in the bed to get more comfortable, he opened his eyes again and looked up at Sheik once more. “So, then can I ask what his name was?” 

Silence settled over them once more and Link wondered this time if he had overstepped in some way. It was just a name, he was sure, it wasn’t that personal. He heard Sheik let out a small breath and the other finally turned his head from the stars to look down at Link. The red eyes of the Sheikah seemed brighter under the light of the moon as he gazed down at him from under the window. “Are you sure you want to know?” 

Something about that gave him pause, it seemed like such a weird question to Link. But the fact that Sheik asked it was what gave him pause for it. He took a few seconds to think it through and then nodded his head once, determined. 

Sheik answered without pause then. “His name was Link.” 

Oh. That was why Sheik asked if he was sure. The confusion that hit Link over that was more than he could even explain. It was as if his head stopped thinking and then kicked into overdrive to try and explain all of this. How could they share the same name? Link didn’t know who named him or where it came from, but he doubted his parents named him after some Hero who was only remembered from books in the castle by a single Princess Millenniums ago. 

The question clearly presented itself on his face because Sheik started explaining. “The legend of the Hero always describes the Hero as the same. A blonde haired and blue eyed Hylian cloaked in green wielding the Master Sword." Link indeed had blonde hair and blue eyes, something that seemed so common to the other Hylians he had met. "You lacked the Master Sword and the Hero's Tunic but I was sure when I met you that you were the hero. You look a lot like he did." He's not sure how that made him feel but he was sure it wasn't a good feeling. Not with how Sheik talked about the Hero and made him wonder of the Sheikah’s feelings toward him. More and more questions filled his mind but again Sheik spoke before he had the chance to truly think of a specific one. “There are a lot of differences though, it’s not as if you’re an exact clone of him too. It’s--take Impa and the Princess for example.” 

That’s right, Sheik’s mother was the Great Impa and the current leader of the Sheikah was named Impa too. He assumed it was a legacy thing. “Every female in the Sheikah tribe born to the current clan leader is named Impa. In the expectant chance that one of them will carry the same blood and destiny as the original. The one that guarded the Princess, just as my mother did. It’s their destiny, as yours is to defeat Ganon.” So he was right, then. “And the Princess of my time was named Zelda too. Because the Royal Family does the same thing the Sheikah do. The eldest daughter born to the King is named Zelda in the hopes of carrying the Princess of Destiny’s abilities. But, if you track the Royal Family’s daughters named Zelda in the archives, none of them will look identical. Similar, of course, but not identical.” 

So, if Link was following this right, somehow or some way he might be related to the Hero of Time. That was slightly less horrifying than what he was thinking and where his mind was taking this. Even though Sheik hadn’t in the slightest focused on his looks or treated him like the Hero of Time there was that slight concern… that single word echoing in his head. A replacement. Knowing there were differences between them made him less worried about that. 

“Would you tell me how we’re different?” He can’t help it, now that he’s heard it he wants to know. Wants to hear from Sheik’s own mouth that he sees two different people. It’s selfish, he’s always selfish when it comes to Sheik. Pushing for more and more from someone who already gives him so much. But he needs to hear it. 

It’s nice watching his mouth move without the mask, the slightest press of his lips and the dart of his tongue between them. Sheik presses them together a lot when he thinks, like before when he was hovering over the papers he was writing on. His gaze drags over Link’s face and body a few times before settling finally on his eyes. He reaches his hand out and pushes his fingers through Link’s hair, tugging the leather tie out from the back. 

“Your hair’s longer and a darker shade of blonde.” He starts with and Link instantly finds himself distracted with the way the other touched him. “Your taller than him, I know because I was actually taller than the Hero of Time and you’re just barely taller than me.” It had been one of the first things Link himself noted, how they were practically the same height. When Link took his boots off they probably were the same height actually. “But he was more wider than you in build. Though admittedly that could just be the armor, the Kokiri tunic didn’t have much defense.” He seems to lose himself in thought here and Link wondered if it was actually hard for Sheik to remember all these details. “I saw him from a distance a lot.” He blinks and the hand that was still playing with Link's hair suddenly moved. Sheik brushed the backs of his fingers beneath Link’s right eye. “Your eyes are a lighter blue than his were though.” 

The hand was suddenly gone and Sheik was once more looking out the window. Link had to force himself to take a breath, body still not daring to make a single move. He waited long enough to see if Sheik would add anything else but it eventually became clear he’d reached the end of his willingness to talk. Link dragged the blankets up over his shoulders and the other settled down onto his back, closer to Link than he had any night before. 

Knowing Sheik didn’t mind the closeness he let himself get comfortable against the Sheikah’s side and soon fell into a deep sleep. 

Waking before Sheik was a rare occurrence but considering how well he slept in Hateno compared to their adventures he was starting to think it was only rare if Sheik doesn’t sleep. He dragged himself from the bed and Sheik’s arms and moved to the desk, leaving a note about collecting supplies for the trip before leaving. It wasn’t a complete lie but he still felt bad for doing it, but what he was intending on doing he needed to do without Sheik by his side. 

The Korok Forest in the early morning light was a lot different than mid day. The light from the sun shined down and seemed to brighten the entire place, adding to the ethereal feeling it seemed to have. The Korok themselves were already awake, running around and playing with each other. Link made his way through the forest to the Great Deku Tree, stepping up to where the Master Sword used to rest. When he was there the Deku Tree made a contemplating sound and spoke. 

“So you’ve returned again. Did you have more questions, young one?” 

He nodded his head once. “You said the Master Sword would allow me to talk to the Hero of Time more clearly, I want to know how.” 

“Hm… so you have questions and I assume the young Sheikah couldn’t provide answers?” 

“No… no Sheik did. But I--feel bad asking for more than he is comfortable giving. If I can find my answers from the Hero of Time himself, I feel I should.” Getting things from the other person's perspective might shine light onto it too. An aspect of it that neither Sheik nor himself considered. 

“If that is how you feel I will not try to change your mind. If you wish to speak to the Hero of Time I will tell you how. Return to the place where the Hero of Time’s grave resides and strike the Master Sword into the ground over it. From here, the Master Sword will be your connection to them. This will drain the Master Sword of its power, without all the Sages praying to keep power to the Sacred Realm and the Master Sword it’s power is limited. And this... takes more than normal fighting with it.” 

“I understand.” He won’t do this often then, not that he intended to anyway. Link gave the Deku tree a nod. “I will use my time with him wisely.” 

“Hm. Follow the sound of the forest as you had once before. It’ll lead you to the grave.” 

Link left and headed out into the lost woods. This time knowing he was looking for the music to follow he heard it instantly and rushed toward it as it increased in volume. The Korok led him right to the same grove with the tree and tombstone at the base, the offerings he had left last time still right there. Though they had clearly been tidied up by the Korok.

Taking careful steps forward he reached behind his back and grasped the hilt of the Master Sword, pulling it from the scabbard and lowering it down to his side. Stepping on top of the grave he looked to the blank tombstone and took a deep breath. Swinging the sword around he grabbed the hilt with his other hand too, lifted the sword up and then drove the blade straight down into the ground as if he was returning it to the pedestal. There was a light from the triangle gem on the Master Sword and Link felt his consciousness leave him. 

The place he opened his eyes to was white, bright white and with a thin layer of water over the top of the ground. Link could see his own reflection in it and heard the sound of a water drop hitting a puddle. He lifted his head up and standing in front of him where nothing had been before was what could have been considered a mirror reflection of himself. Light blonde hair, blue eyes and clothes as green as the forest. He blinked, startled, and then took a step back. 

He knew who he was looking at and yet it still startled him to see something so close to his own reflection. Sheik was right, they were different and yet so similar... and Link was taller than him. 

“You’ve returned… and with the Master Sword too." His gaze seemed to focus on that for several moments before it began wandering over Link's body. He felt a bit like he was being observed, judged. Their gaze snapped back to Link's eyes. "Tell me, was Sheik helpful?” 

He nodded his head, the shock slowly leaving him and reached to his hip for the Sheikah Slate. It wasn’t there. Apparently wherever his consciousness took him the only thing that came with him was the Master Sword and the clothes on his back. “He figured out how to fix my problem in less time than it took me to make even a dent in my journey.” 

The Hero of Time laughed softly, turning his head up toward the--ceiling? sky? and smiled. “Yeah, he does that. Sheik was always good at knowing the answer before you even had a question. Yet, the answers he gives you are never personal in nature.” 

“He’s gotten better at opening up to me. Sometimes it was as hard as throwing a boulder down an exact path but he did get there." They tried and that was what mattered to Link, that they could talk. "I wanted to ask you about what happened with him. He seems… very resigned about the entire thing and I struggle to get detailed answers out of him about his journey with you.” 

The Hero watches him and Link gets the distinct impression that he’s judging him again but for an entirely different reason. When he speaks again he shakes his head at the same time. “With some of the Sage’s missing you won’t have enough power in the Master Sword for the entire story, but I’ll tell you what I can.” And then he began the tale of the Hero of Time. 

Most of what he was told from the beginning Link had gotten from Sheik already. How the Hero grew up among the Kokiri but knew from the start he was different then the others. The lack of a fairy, the adventure to save the Deku Tree and the inevitable failure. The journey to the Castle and seeing the Princess. He told Link the first time he had met Sheik in the future he had thought the man was an enemy and then later wondered if he was a spy for Ganon. That part surprised Link especially when Sheik had admitted to him to being a spy against Ganon for the Princess. He wondered if the Hero knew that, probably. 

The Hero told him how he tried hard to get close to Sheik and that he was avoided every single time. He admitted to feeling lonely and wishing more than anything to just have Sheik sit down and have a conversation with him. He got close, once apparently, after the Water Temple but Sheik ran the moment his back was turned. 

“I was a child in an adults body, confused and just doing my best to help people. The only thing I wanted was a friend.” 

He couldn’t imagine the struggle, the pain, the feeling of loss and foreignness in your own body they had to experience. He could just hear the pain in his voice as he spoke and shared his experience with Link. He said he came to terms with it but Link wondered how true that was. When he reached the end of the story, Sheik bringing Zelda to him in the Temple of Time, losing her and then his victory, he did seem pleased with himself. The fight was long and hard and at the end of it he had been heavily wounded but still won. And Sheik had vanished. He had thought, apparently, Sheik had died but never found the answer. 

Zelda and him returned the Master Sword to its resting place and with that came the reset of time. That was his journey as a Hero though he had left many of the details out. There were parts he wanted to know, how many meetings he and Sheik had, what he learned of the Sheikah in general. But he knew they didn't have time for details, as much as he wanted them. Though that was the journey of a forgotten Hero that had saved Hyrule in a time that no longer existed now. At the end of his tale he looked more heartbroken than when it began but he held himself together well. Definitely better than Link would have. 

He waited until he was sure that the Hero had reached the end of his story and held the others gaze as he asked his final question. “Can I ask what Sheik was to you?” 

The Hero frowned and thought the question over, his blue gaze falling to the ground as he searched for the answer. “I don’t know. I had considered him my best friend in that lifetime. But clearly he didn’t think the same. You know, he only called me by my name once. Once in the entire time I knew him. And it was out of fear when he was trying to protect me from the monster in the well.” No, he hadn’t know that. He thought Sheik never called him by his name. He wondered if Sheik even remembered doing it. “I wanted him to live a good life, and even then I couldn’t get that. It is one of the only regrets I have left.” He picks his head up and looks to Link. “So now, I reverse the question to you. What is Sheik to you, Hero of the Wilds?” 

Oh, he didn’t like that title. But his answer is far more confident than the others had been. “My friend.” The smile he feels on his face is soft and pleased, the same warm feeling he gets every time he thinks about the Sheikah. “But… I think I’d like for him to… be more than a friend.”

A look of surprise crossed the Hero of Time’s face before it changed into something softer, an understanding showing in his eyes. “I wish you luck in that, Sheik is rather hard to understand. From the sounds of it though you’ve already done better than me. Perhaps, there is at least something else I can offer you from this meeting besides my blessing.” He turned away from Link and took several steps away, a sword appearing in his right hand that mirrored the Master Sword in appearance. “A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage. You who are destined to become the Hero, who carries the blood of the Hero of Legend in him, allow me to pass to you the teachings of the sword.” The Hero turned suddenly to face Link and held his sword up. “Now come at me.” 

The Master Sword didn’t have much power left in it but he taught Link at the very least how to properly wield a sword so it didn’t break on him after every single enemy. He seemed pleased with Link’s progress at the end of it and as a final parting he made Link promise to return at some point for more lessons to better his control over the Master Sword. 

When he jerked back to his body, only partly coherent and head pounding, he realized not only did this take power from the sword it took power from himself as well. When he pulled his sword from the ground it nearly knocked him to his feet in exhaustion. He took a breath, slowly stood up and checked the sky. Well, Sheik was going to be pissed, it was already dark out he’d spent an entire day talking with the Hero of Time. But, he’d learned a great deal. Sliding the Master Sword into the sheath he grabbed the slate and teleported himself back to Hateno Village. 

Link walked the dark path back to their house and only made it across the bridge before he spotted Sheik. The Warrior had seated himself on the roof of their house, staring up at the sky but clearly listening for him. The moment he was within range Sheik turned his head downward and blinked at Link before swinging himself off of the roof. “You’re late. I was worried.” He hadn’t considered that was a possibility, he definitely should have. “I went looking for you but no one saw you. I even dragged myself to Purah’s Lab. I lost most of my morning in there trapped by her.” Link smiles, wide and amused. He was just far too pleased to be back here and with Sheik at his side. “Where were you? You look exhausted.” 

“Sorry. I intended to get supplies for Death Mountain but I got distracted.” Sheik was frowning, Link could see it by the crease of his brows even with the mask on. “I went back to the Kokiri Forest. I can tell you more--” Sheik grabbed his arm and pulled Link forward, his hand void of his glove pressing against his forehead. 

“You have a fever. Whatever you were doing, you shouldn’t do again.” Perhaps that was why he felt as tired as he did? Sheik started pulling him inside the small house and Link willingly followed him. “Has anyone not taught you how to pace yourself? One day with the Master Sword and you’re already physically exhausting yourself to the point you’re ill.” 

“I learned something about that, if it helps?” Apparently it didn’t because Sheik seemed even less amused as he led him upstairs to the bed. “Sit.” Link sat and Sheik knelt down to remove his boots. He tried to argue he was more than capable of doing that himself but the moment he tried to move away and opened his mouth to argue Sheik shot him a glare. “The Master Sword is an extension of yourself, it relies on your strength and courage for power as much as it does the power of the Sage’s. Using it the way that you did, whatever you were doing, drained your spiritual energy. Which is very dangerous if you were curious. That’s why the Deku Tree expressed so intently limiting yourself when using the Master Sword.” 

“I know, most of that anyway. I was told some of the Sage’s were gone.” At that Sheik did pause, his hands frozen on Link’s ankle from when he had removed one of his boots. He started again after a moment, untying the other one and slipping it off. 

“I suppose that makes sense. With the Temples being lost to Time they’d lose some of their purpose and strength. Which would lead to the loss of the Sage’s. And with me being removed from my place as the Sage of the Shadow Temple that also decreases the Master Swords power.” He sighed and stood back up, moving to grab Link’s shirt he wears to bed from the top of the dresser. “I should have stayed there, but--” he pauses and picks the shirt up letting out a sigh. “I’m happy, being here with you, as selfish as that is.” 

“That’s not selfish.” Standing up Link reached for Sheik’s arm but the other moved quicker, grasping his elbow and pushing him back onto the bed. “It’s not. What you did was selfless. You were never supposed to be the sage of the Shadow Temple, but you gave your life away to do it. You’re selfless and you deserve to do something that for once makes you happy.” 

“I suppose… the Sage’s aren’t meant to be there forever. Eventually, a new one is chosen.” That was something Link assumed, that a new Sage would be born among the Tribes. He wasn’t sure how that worked, if Ganon needed to return for them too as well, like with the Hero and the Princess of Destiny. “Lay down, I’ll get a cold cloth and make you some soup.” 

Listening to Sheik just to please him Link scooted back on the bed and laid down, the blanket getting dragged over his body as he relaxed down. He fully intended to stay awake, he wasn’t sick just fatigued, but apparently that exhaustion was enough to push him into a quick and easy slumber. 

He woke a few hours later with his head pillowed on a warm and comfortable surface. Rolling a bit he buried his face further into it and opened his eyes a bit. The position was familiar but different from normal, considering he was inside his house and on his bed. Sheik sat beneath the window, one of his favorite places to be with his head rested against the wall. Link had buried his head in Sheik’s lap, laying sideways across the bed and the blankets thrown about. Sheik had his left hand in Link’s hair and the right draped across his waist. It was a comfortable position for him but Sheik looked like he’d wake with a horrible cramp in his body. Beside him resting on the window sill was a bowl that clearly had water in it and a wet rag draped over the side of it. 

Sheik had stayed up all night to take care of him and Link can taste the lingering bits of potion on his lips. Whatever he had given him had worked, that bone crushing exhaustion he had felt was gone now and he felt well enough to do just about anything. Though he would definitely take Sheik’s advice to pace himself. Even if it was tempting to talk to the Hero of Time again. 

Link rolled onto his back carefully, trying not to disturb Sheik, and looked up at him. He looked so soft in his sleep, mask gone and face lax. There was a gentleness to him that wasn’t always noticeable when he was awake. Link reached his hand up and ran his fingers across Sheik’s cheek, cuping it in his palm and tracing the corner of his mouth with his thumb. Sheik twitched and Link knew he had woken him up before seeing that red gaze focus down on him. 

“You’re awake.” 

He was and he should say something, anything, but all he could focus on was the look in Sheik's eyes and the feeling of his skin against his palm. He moved completely on instinct and determination. Link leaned up and pressed his lips against the others. Feeling Sheik tense above him was certainly not ideal, but he didn't push Link away either. Taking some of that as a good sign he slipped his hand from Sheik's cheek to the back of his head and pulled him closer. The angle wasn't great and he didn't have enough upper body strength to keep this up. He tumbled back down into Sheik's lap and blinked at wide and startled red eyes. Those eyes darted around his face, looking for something and though Link was sure it would be better to apologize for the sudden kiss he couldn't find it in him to do that. Because he wasn't sorry. He had wanted to do that and he still wanted to do it again. 

He watched Sheik blink, seem to silently consider something, and then leaned down over him. Unlike when Link had thrown himself up at the other this kiss was far softer and hesitant. Sheik supported himself with his right hand on the bed beside Link's head while the left settled in his hair. It was an incredibly intimate position that made his heart rate skyrocket and body warm. But a content warmth that made him want more of this, wanted Sheik closer. 

But Sheik was moving back, still looking down at him, and Link really didn't want any of that right now. He reached his own arms up, looped them around his neck and yanked him back down. He went for a harder kiss this time, dragging his teeth across the bottom of Sheik's lower lip and pressing his tongue into the other's mouth. He could feel the shuddering intake of breath Sheik took, the way he pressed closer seeking more of the contact. He gave him what he wanted, sucking Sheik's lower lip into his mouth and tracing it with his tongue. It pulled a sound from him, something close to a suppressed moan and Sheik's hand curled around his hair, fisting it. 

He suddenly pulled back, breathing quickly and cheeks lightly blushed pink. He looked good like that and Link really wanted to drag him back down and see what other expressions he could pull from him. 

"Link…" his voice was hoarse sounding and Sheik realized it just as Link did, his gaze averting away. "We should--" he moved to attempt to get up from the bed and Link in a desperate move to keep him there tightened his arms around the others neck. Sheik startled and snapped his head back to Link who took advantage of the moment to press their lips back together. 

"Link!" He didn't want to talk, because he was sure talking about this would make it stop. Sheik clearly seemed very willing to be a part of this, he just needed him to stop thinking. 

Pushing himself upward he guided Sheik back away from him. Maneuver himself a bit he managed to get to a position where he could instead slide himself into Sheik's lap. He sat with his thighs on either side of Sheik's body, arms draped around his shoulders. Link took hold of Sheik's braid and started working the tie in it out. He could feel hands Sheik twitch, blindly searching out until they eventually settled along Link's hips for lack of a better place to put them. 

"Link," a third try, lips moving against his. "What are we doing?" Honestly, he thought that was fairly obvious, especially as he slowly worked Sheik's braid out. 

"I'm kissing you." He could feel how unamused Sheik was with that answer. "And I would very much like to continue doing so." He gets a sigh but Sheik doesn't bother fighting him for a different reply, and easily goes when Link pulls him closer again for another kiss. Their lips meet and Link presses his body tightly to the others, his fingers now easily sinking into Sheik's thick hair that was as soft as he assumed. He curled it around his fingers, tugged, and felt Sheik gasp into their kiss. It was a very pleasant feeling. 

It was the sound of Link's stomach rolling in hunger that broke them apart, Sheik seeming to come to his senses at the sound. He used his grip on Link's hips to push him back and started to again climb off of the bed. "You haven't eaten since the day before yesterday, I'll get you some food. The soup I made is still down there, it should be fine to heat up." He sat himself in the middle of the bed, telling himself he wasn't sulking as he watched Sheik head downstairs. Betrayed by his own body, that's how he felt.

This wasn't bad. Sheik had returned his kiss, eagerly at that too, clearly he was interested in Link even if it was a little bit, right? That was what it seemed like to Link. They had thoroughly and eagerly explored each other even if it was only for a few minutes, that had to mean something to Sheik. Link clutched at his shirt over his stomach and looked to the blanket beneath him. It went better than he could have hoped it would. He honestly didn't think he would have had the courage to do it. But he had and he can't bring himself to regret it, even if Sheik does tell him not to do it again. 


	7. Death Mountain.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this house two full grown men know exactly what they want.

They didn't talk about it. Which was more distressing than if they had. Sheik just waited for him outside to eat and dress, already ready to go and mask firmly in place. He looked up when Link joined him at his side and nodded his head in greeting. He had the Sheikah slate, map pulled up and looking down at it. Link made his way over and hovered near Sheik’s side, looking over to see if he had formed a plan already. “Death Mountain isn’t the easiest to navigate. I thought we could head here to Foothill Stables first, it’ll be the best starting point for us.” 

Link nodded his head and grasped Sheik’s elbow as he pulled the shrine up near there and moved them to the stables closest to Death Mountain. The map wasn’t cleared up over here, there were still a few Towers remaining that Link had yet to get. Their first task was definitely going to be getting those and finding their way up the mountain without combusting into flames. If what Purah said was true, anyway, and rarely was she wrong. 

Following behind Sheik the two of them climbed down the mountain the shrine was on and made their way over to where the stables were. They walked around the front and Sheik stopped suddenly, nearly causing him to run right into the Sheikah’s back. He sidestepped him, looked to his face and then followed his gaze to what he was looking at. It was Kass, the Rito that Link sometimes met who played the accordion. The song he was playing now was one that Link always heard him play at stables. 

Kass apparently caught them staring because he stopped playing and looked up, meeting Sheik’s gaze with that same kind expression he always gave Link. “Ah, greetings travelers. My name is Kass. Were you wondering about the song I perform at the stables? There are many theories about its origin. But according to my teacher, it was a song performed by the ancient hero to call to his horse companion. If you ever feel like hearing it, feel free to drop by!” Sheik’s hand twitched and clenched at his side. “I happen to know a song about the ancient hero. It was passed down to me by my teacher. Do you care to hear it?” 

“Sure.” Link took a step closer to Sheik, smiling at Kass in the hopes Sheik’s intense look doesn’t terrify his Rito friend. Kass usually had good information about finding shrines, and they met in some very odd situations. He liked the Rito. 

“Excellent! Without further ado…” He started his accordion again, the tune then different then what he was playing before but still as nice as it had been when Kass played. “The kingdom of Hyrule is a vast and storied land. Oft grasped in the palm of a villainous hand. A dark force of destruction, many times undone. Rises once again--Ganon, the Calamitous one. But hope survives in Hyrule, for all is not lost. Two brave souls protect it, no matter the cost. A Goddess--blood Princess and a fearless knight. They appear in each age to fight the good fight. Their battle with Ganon I’ve committed to song. To keep it through all time. no matter how long. Now begins the second verse, listen and you’ll know. Of their battle with Ganon ten-thousand years ago.” That story, it was just as Sheik had told him. When Ganon returned, so did the Princess of Destiny and the Hero of Legend. He suddenly could feel the weight of the Master Sword against his back. 

Kass continued his song now having both of their attention completely. “The kingdom of Hyrule was once a land of lasting peace. A culture of such strength and wit that suffering did cease. But Ganon lurked beneath the surface, strengthening its jaws. So the ancient people of Hyrule set out to help the cause. Their efforts bore fruit in an automated force, to help avert the Calamity by sealing its source. Four giant behemoths for which power never ceased. Each of these titans was called a ‘Divine Beast’. And free-willed machines that haunted down their prey, these guardians were built to last so they could join the fray. To guide these beasts in battle, warriors were needed. So four Champions were pledged to see Ganon defeated. Divine Beasts, Guardians, Princess, and Knight. Their pan to route Ganon was looking airtight. And when Calamity Ganon reared its head, Hyrule rose against it. The optimism of Hyrule all the more incensed it. Ganon raged and in its assault, boiling with hate. It gnashed its teeth and thrashed about, but all was too late. The Guardians kept the heroes safe through every hour… The Divine Beasts unleashed attacks that weakened Ganon’s power. The Hero with the sealing sword struck the final blow. And the holy power of the Princess sealed Ganon so. And that is the story of the brazen attack. On Calamity Ganon ten-thousand years back.” 

Kass’s music drifted off and he lowered his instrument, smiling to the both of them. “Thank you for listening. If you ever wish to hear it again do come back.” He returned to playing the same song that had distracted Sheik but when he looked up at his friend his face was just twisted in confusion. 

“That contradicts my theory on the Sheikah Technology. How it was created in place of the Hero. It does strengthen my theory that the Sheikah created it under the order of the Royal Family but…” he gave a small hum and crossed his arms over his chest. “I suppose it’s impossible to know anyway, not without having been there to see what was going on. If we believe that story or the hundreds of others we will probably hear.” He shrugged his shoulders briefly and looked to Link. “Besides, the Ganon I met all those years ago, was a man.” That was something he learned from the Hero of Time when he got the story yesterday, and it still didn’t fail to surprise him. “It’s said he was born to the Gerudo Tribe, people known for typically having girls and being an all female tribe.” 

Sheik looked like he was going to continue on from Kass when he paused suddenly and turned his gaze to the Rito. He had that look on his face, where he fought with himself internally, and then finally settled on a decision. “Your song.” Kass paused and lifted his gaze to Sheik. “It’s called Epona’s Song.” The shock that ran through Kass would have been amusing if Sheik didn’t seem so upset. Kass's jaw dropped and the instrument lowered down, his eyes wide as he stared at Sheik as though he'd grown wings of his own suddenly. Sheik himself still seemed torn but the firmness in his gaze told Link he was committed to correcting this. “And the horse the Hero called to his side with it was named Epona. The first Hero to do it rescued her from an abusive ranch owner that was under Ganon’s control.” 

“Epona’s song--” he repeated the words back, still startled. “How can you--?” 

“If you’re going to play it, you should play it right and in its entirety. Epona was important to him.” Link couldn’t tell if he was ignoring Kass or just unwilling to answer the question. However he did reach behind himself and retrieved his Lyre off of his back. “I’ll play it once to completion and then you’re on your own.” He tested the strings with a few random notes and then started into the song that Link had become familiar with at the stables Kass frequented. He was right though, when he reached a certain point that Kass would loop back through to the beginning there was another verse. It wasn’t much longer and he couldn’t even say it changed much but it did feel like it completed the song rather than endlessly looped it. Then there was a break, where it would probably loop back around and restart but Sheik stopped playing and put his Lyre away. 

He didn’t wait for Kass’s reply, just headed over to the cooking pot by the stable and left Link with the Rito. “Link.” He looked to Kass and inclined his head. “Who is your friend?” 

“Sheik. You can trust him, he knows a bit more about this than… an average scholar.” 

“I see. I’ll take your word for it, since I can’t say if he was wrong or not on the song. It certainly sounds right. He’s a fantastic musician by the way, please tell him for me.” 

Link nodded and headed off to where he had lost his friend in conversation with a stable hand girl. Reaching the other's side he leaned against him, shoulder pressing to Sheik’s and looked at what was in his hand. “What’s that?” 

“Apparently, Fireproof Elixir. It’s supposed to make you flame resistant and keep you cool. She gave me the recipe for it too. Here.” Sheik turned to Link and dumped five of them into his hand. “I also spotted the tower and locked it on the Sheikah Slate so we can find it.” 

“Did she happen to say how to get up to Goron City?” Link asked, looking from the map on the slate to Sheik’s face. 

He gave a nod. “There’s a path we can follow that leads up right into Death Mountain. If we don’t get lost, we should ideally reach Goron City.” That was fairly straight forward, surely they would be fine then. 

“Great, hopefully we can grab the tower on the way up then.” They found the path the woman directed them to and started up the way. They passed a Goron on the path, who also warned them of the heat and pointed them to a sign at the entrance to the Mountain. “Death Mountain Marker number one. Climbing Path Trailhead.” 

“Do they mark it the entire way up? That’d be pretty convenient.” Sheik hummed in agreement and they continued along the path. “Is there anything specific I should know about Goron’s?” 

“I didn’t spend much time with them actually. I met the Hero inside of the Fire Temple, or well the entrance to it near Dodongo’s Cavern. But from what I remember we should be worried about the heat, falling volcanic rocks and active volcano areas. The Goron themselves are immune to those things, and they eat rocks.” That was so very weirdly specific but the eating rocks thing didn’t actually surprise him. Though it being their only source of food did a bit. 

“Interesting. Did you learn anything about their problem from the books?” 

He shook his head. “I only get the basic information from there. Like I can tell you their Divine Beast is called Vah Rudania and their Champion who piloted it was called Daruk. The rest we’ll have to learn when we get up there. Shouldn’t be too hard from what I remember they’re friendly and chatty people. They’re actually probably one of the most welcoming races in Hyrule. And I say that even after finally meeting the Rito.” 

Link chuckled softly, remembering Teba and Sheik’s conversation. “They weren’t so bad. Though given how Revali talked to me maybe it is an inherited trait. Teba got friendlier in the end though.” Which was true, he was very nice once he realized Link wasn’t pulling his feathers in being able to help him. Sheik gave a hum that sounded very doubtful and Link laughed again, a bit louder this time. He leaned toward the other, bumped his shoulder into Sheik’s and looked to him. 

Again he found himself glad to not have to be doing this alone but more so than that he was glad it was Sheik with him. Having him by his side was like a constant sold rock that he knew he could lean on. As he watched Sheik, his red eyes focused forward on the path and body alert for enemies, his mind drifted back to earlier that morning. They still hadn’t talked, Link hadn’t explained his feelings. He swallowed roughly and let out a breath. “Sheik--” 

The other grabbed his arm and ducked to the side, pulling Link nearly right on top of him. He stumbled into a crouch behind a rock, bracing himself on Sheik’s shoulder and looked up at what had alarmed him. Walking through the mountain pass was a guardian, one with all it’s legs too and lit up red. It had already sensed them but Sheik’s quick thinking had thrown it off their trail. He silently cursed their luck and looked around. “We could try going around it…” 

“Venturing off the path of Death Mountain is dangerous. One wrong step and you can end up in a Lava Pit. Literally. Besides, we can’t avoid them forever, we need to find a way to defeat them.” That was true, he had seen Central Hyrule and the path to the castle. Hundreds of them around. Still, he wasn’t eager to test his luck now. 

“So, what do we do?” 

“You have the Master Sword. The Deku Tree said in the face of those infected by Ganon’s influence its power will be doubled.” That was right and after training with the Hero of Time he felt a bit more confident in his abilities. “So, I’ll draw it’s attention and climb up higher and you sneak up and just start hitting it." He doesn't quite like the sound of that but he’s willing to at least give it the benefit of the doubt and assume Sheik will be fine. He certainly hopes so. It worked the other times they did this and if the laser was focused on him he’d never get close enough. 

“Just--don’t deflect it like you did with Windblight. I thought you broke your arm doing that.” He gets a hum and a nod before Sheik’s standing and jumping onto the cliff beside them. He swings himself up to the very top, several feet off of the ground and throws one of his Dirk’s at the guardian. It’s attention draws instantly and the sound of the laser targeting is loud in his ears. 

Reaching back, Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath and headed down the path toward the Guardian. With Sheik it’s target he swung easily underneath it and slashed at the side, taking out one of it’s legs with a few hits as the laser let loose into the air. Trying not to distract himself he focused on the Guardian and not his friend, the moment he got distracted was the moment he put the both of them in danger. 

Sheik let another Dirk fly and it hit the Guardian in the eye, momentarily stunning it. Link got a good few more hits in with it like that and the Guardian once it freed itself from the stun focused itself again. However, with Link being so close and whacking at it, it’s single eye narrowed in on him. The bright red laser of the Guardian focused on his chest and started to charge up. Quickly he turned and ran backwards, aiming for a rock or something to take cover behind. 

Two more Dirks flew through the air, hitting the Guardian in various and random points on it’s head. Sheik managed to direct its attention over as he jumped from the high ledge above them, twisting in the air pulling his Lyre out. He struck a few cords, let the magic fly through the air following his fingers. As they landed on the Guardian it seemed to catch it off guard, causing it’s laser to fire randomly multiple times. One landed right beside Link, shaking the ground and knocking him off his feet, another hit the mountain and he watched as the final one struck Sheik in the chest. 

Gathering the Master Sword he rushed forward and struck the sword at the Guardian, finally taking it out though his gaze was firmly locked on Sheik. The laser had tossed him a good distance and he took off running, stopping where his friend had crouched on the ground gripping at his chest. “Sheik! Are you alright?” 

“I think so.” He moved to stand and winced in pain, taking a few deep breaths. His hand had fisted around his suit, clutching the fabric tightly. “We might need a different plan next time.” Definitely. They weren’t using Sheik as a homing device next time. 

“The Lyre did a lot of damage, I think it might be a better idea if we fight it together.” He grasped the others forearm and helped him up to his feet, trying to get a look at where he was struck. “Here, I have those potions you made me. You definitely should take one.” Or three. He reached into his pack and pulled one of the red vials out, passing it to Sheik who took it. On the bright side they knew they could defeat them, though the matter of how they do that consistently is still up for debate. They definitely needed a better system. He could work on it. “I’m not fond of you using yourself as bait. I don’t like you getting hurt.” 

“But I don’t want you to get hurt either.” The words were thrown back at him and he had figured that was the case. Sheik was putting himself in the direct line of danger to protect Link and that wasn’t how this was going to continue. He wanted to protect the other as much as he was being protected. 

“Then I guess we just have to protect each other.” Link finally replied, smiling up at Sheik. He didn’t look pleased by that but relented at least, giving a nod of his head and loosening his grip on his suit. There was a growing dark spot where he was struck and Link grew more worried for Sheik. At least the potion should take care of the worst of it, they had to keep going, they barely made it a quarter up the trail. “Can you keep going, Sheik?” 

“Of course. I’ve taken worse.” That wasn't actually reassuring, just more alarming, but he won’t question it now. 

They continued up the path, at a much slower place, and had to take out the occasional Fire Chuchu and Keese. They seemed to be doing incredibly well until they had to climb up a path toward a pool of lava outside the tower Sheik had marked on the slate. They both took a Fire Elixir and Link spotted the horrifying revelation of what was pacing around outside the tower. Another Guardian, a walking one at that, was in the distance right where they wanted to be. 

“Sheik, can we go around it this time?” 

“I don’t see why not, we just need to make it to the tower. Then you can paraglide over it.” 

“We can paraglide over it.” Sheik gave him another unamused look and Link explained. “I know the combined weight will make us fall faster but with the ability I got from Revali I can launch us up higher in the air and sail farther. It’s better than you getting hurt again trying to out run it. Besides, you’re having a hard time walking right now let’s not push it too much.” 

For once he actually won this argument as Sheik relented with a nod, apparently still hating the idea but willing to admit it was the best one that didn’t involve taking on a second Guardian in less than thirty minutes. They worked their way around the far side of the mountain, looking at the ledge where the platform sprouted from the ground at. Sheik swung himself down and landed at the base, grunting in pain from the strain that put on his body. Link landed beside him and checked that he was alright before grasping the tower and starting their climb up. Luckily they could climb on the back where the Guardian wouldn’t be able to see them. 

Sheik took the slate from his waist and sat it in the terminal, watching it twist around and lock in place. It updated the map and Sheik took the slate back showing Link the map. “Ah, now we can see the trail that leads right to Goron City. That should make avoiding the harder enemies easier. We’ll at least not be wandering around blindly anymore.” That was definitely reassuring. Link would love to avoid the Guardians. At least till he had better armor and Sheik didn’t play target. 

“Should we rest here and check your wounds? I’d feel better if we at least cleaned and bandaged it.” 

“In this heat? We’re basically working on a timer. Until we can make more of the Fireproof Elixir we should keep going.” Sheik slid the slate into the holder at his waist and pointed out North West. They walked up to the ledge of the tower and Sheik made a motion toward the distance with his arm. “We need to go that way, there seems to be a mine camp halfway and then another walk to Goron City.” 

“Okay, got it. Come here.” Link held his hand out to Sheik and when the other was close enough he wrapped his right arm firmly around his waist. “Grip by neck, I should be able to hang onto the paraglider with one hand.” 

“This sounds like a terrible idea.” 

“It won’t be. Just don’t let go.” He pressed his body against the others and Sheik reached his arms out, looping them around Link’s neck and resting his head on his shoulder. “Okay, if it helps don’t look down. The first time I looked down I almost fell from the fear.” He’s sure Sheik mutters “real reassuring” against his shoulder but it’s muffled enough he can’t quite be sure. He tightens his hold on the others waist, hoping to reassure him and then tapped into the power Revali gave him. He felt the wind gather around them, spinning in a circle and then suddenly shot them up into the air. 

Sheik’s arms tightened around his neck near painfully and he shook the paraglider out in a smooth motion. It was certainly harder to hang on with the added weight of Sheik’s body but thankfully they didn’t need to go far, just to the ledge across the way where the Guardian wouldn’t be able to see them. This high up as they were, they'd definitely be out of it's sight too. Link guided the paraglider with the wind, drifting across the path away from the tower. He felt Sheik turn his head, tucking his face down more against his neck to look at where they were drifting. 

“No go left. If you land over there we’ll have to climb down into its path. The farther you get down the trail it walks the less we’ll have to run.” That was a good point and Link used a bit of force to tilt the paraglider to the left and sail down the trail. “If you get tired let me know, I’ll try to drop myself somewhere.” He was definitely not doing that but Sheik doesn’t need to know. 

They floated to a level that he figured they were safe at and started to look for somewhere to just land. It was getting harder to hang onto Sheik but if he was honest there was actually a level of enjoyment at getting to hold him so close like this. “Hey Sheik?” He gets a small hum from the other and Link tilts his head down to look at the Sheikah’s face. The movement forced Sheik to pick his head up and look back at Link, putting their faces quite close together. 

He took advantage of the situation to press his lips to Sheik’s mask covered ones, the feeling quite odd and nothing like back at the house, but it did sate his desire to do it. Sheik made a sound in the back of his throat and pulled back, watching Link with an unreadable expression in his gaze. Shifting a bit he reached over Link’s shoulder with his hand, grasped the corner of his mask and yanked it down around his neck. Leaning back he quickly and lightly placed his lips back over Link’s and returned the kiss. He pulled back a second later leaving Link quite wanting. 

“Put us down.” Probably a good idea, he could feel his arm shaking from the strain. They drifted down onto the path a good distance from the Guardian, just a bit of a walk to what Sheik had said was a miners camp of some sort. The moment they were on solid ground Sheik stepped away and fixed his mask back up in place, checking his weapons and Lyre as what seemed like a habit. Satisfied everything was in order he started to walk along the path once more leaving Link to trail along behind him. 

“Sheik?” 

“Hm…?” 

“Are we going to talk about that?” 

He pauses briefly and then continues walking, glancing over his shoulder at Link before turning forward again. “Do you want to right this particular second?” That seemed like a deflection, and avoidance, because apart from walking and the random small enemies they didn’t really have anything else they needed to do. 

So he points that out. “I don’t see why not.” He heaved a sigh and quickened his pace, nearly having to jog to catch up to the other. Reaching out he caught his elbow and tugged to get Sheik to turn and look at him. Which definitely didn’t amuse Sheik considering the look he got from the Warrior. “Sheik, listen, please. I just--” the ground started to shake and he stumbled backwards, snapping his head to the side as Sheik’s body turned and took a few steps closer to him. 

The boulder he had paid very little attention to moments ago suddenly stood up and shook itself free of the debris from the ground. Sheik’s body pressed into his and Link let his arm go but didn’t grab a weapon. Did he even have a sledgehammer? “What in Goddesses name is that?” Sheik muttered, grabbing his Lyre from his back. 

"Magma Talus! We have to hit the stone on the top of it!” 

“You can’t climb on it how--” he shoved Link away from him and rolled to the side, missing the arm the Talus shot at them. “Link! The Master Sword! It has a beam if you charge it like you’re going to throw it!” Link climbed to his feet and looked over at Sheik, his fingers moving along the Lyre and shooting the beams of light off of the instrument. It soared over the top and nicked the black stone that stuck out of the Talus. 

Like that? He could do that. He just--looking around he ran toward a few rocks on the cavern and started to climb his way up on top of them. Putting himself a bit higher and farther away he had easier sight of the stone on the Talus’ back. Swinging the Master Sword out he pulled his arm back and focused on the energy of the blade. It gave a faint glow and when he swung it at the air it shot a beam across the battlefield and struck the Talus on the rock. It tumbled forward into the ground and Sheik played a few more notes, hitting the stone in quick succession. 

They weren’t hard enemies but they were far easier to fight if Link could climb on them or use bomb arrows. Bomb arrows currently were far from an option with the intense heat but they were his second weapon of choice on Talus’s. With the hits from the both of them they took the Magma Talus out and it crashed into the ground, turning into a bunch of gems that scattered across the field. 

Link climbed back down and picked them all up, slipping them into the bag with the others. “Well, of all the battles that one wasn’t so bad.” 

“It dropped quite a bit of gems, those will probably be useful.” He turned to look up the cliff they had to climb. “The miners camp is on the other side of that. Once we make our way up we’ll be most of the way to Goron City.” That was good news. He gave a nod of his head and continued over to the cliff, climbing his way up it with Sheik right behind him. 

“Should we see if we can gather any information?” 

Sheik nodded and stepped closer to Link, slipping his hand into the bag and pulling out a few things. “I’m going to make some more Fire Elixir’s, you should take another one before it runs out.” 

He took Sheik’s advice and then started wandering around. He met someone who offered to sell him some fireproof armor if he caught them some Fire Lizards. Twenty of them which wasn’t that bad, if he could get close enough to actually catch them that is. Link was far from as sneaky as Sheik was, although he did have that Sheikah Stealth Armor that he bought from Kakariko. The clothes were a bit different than Sheik’s, who had changed the ones he bought from Claree with bits of pieces of his old uniform. Link’s was more plain with mixes of a shadow blue with a gray like blue. Sheik’s was a dark navy blue accented with a lighter more normal blue. He also had triangles around the wrappings on his knees that Link was sure represented the triforce. The red on his suit was also much more defined, brighter, like he really wanted people to notice it. His mask was white too, which matched his cowl and head wrap. 

He found a secluded rock and hid behind it, changing his clothes out for the Sheikah Stealth Armor. He sat his belongings down to limit sound but kept the Master Sword on him. Ready he started to sneak around the entire camp and collected the Fire Lizards needed for the person. It didn’t take long thanks to the armor, in under five minutes he had found enough and was already returning to the stranger with them trapped in a bag. He passed them over, took the bulky chest armor and pants in exchange. They were quite heavy, how he was supposed to move in this was actually beyond him. Collecting his belongings he left behind he found Sheik tucked away at the cooking pot scooping the Elixir into the vials that he had. 

“I traded someone Fire Lizards for Fireproof armor. I think that’s a success.” 

“Well, it’s certainly better than drinking hundreds of--” he trailed off and Link blinked at Sheik, watching his gaze slowly roam over Link’s body before snapping back up to his eyes. “That’s not the armor you traded for right? I didn’t even know you owned that.” 

He looked down at himself, the Sheikah Armor and then Sheik. “I bought it in Kakariko the first time I was there. It lowers the sound of your movements and lets you sneak around. But I run too much for it to be of use with enemies.” 

This didn’t seem to surprise Sheik but he kept looking Link over. “I was right, the original design of that looks ridiculous.” 

A startled laugh fell from Link’s lips and he struck a pose in the suit. “I think I look great.

“As an actual Sheikah allow me to tell you that no one should be wearing that. The Hylian outfit you had on before looks better.” He stands up and turns to Link, several bottles of Fireproof Elixir in his arms. “But I can alter that later so you look less like you just stretched a piece of elastic over your body. The chest plate from my old suit can take more damage, you take a laser hit in that and it might as well be hitting your skin. The leather bracers on the front and shoulders really do nothing. Calling it the stealth suit is quite fitting, it might reduce your noise a lot but it drops your defense. There’s a lack of balance.” 

Link blinked at the explanation and looked down at himself once more. He was right, his Hylian Tunic had several forms of padding across his chest and back, when he was thrown in that he could get back up fairly easily. “But,” Link looks back to Sheik who was closer now. “I like what you did with your hair for it.” His hand reached up and poked at the sticks slid into his bun. “Mm, they’re not sharp enough to use as weapons but they look nice. We should do something with your hair in the Hylian outfit.” 

Sheik apparently had a favorite outfit of his and he honestly had no idea what to do with that information. It did make him want to change his clothes back. 

“Oh, what armor did you get?” 

Getting the Fireproof armor on was not easy. It was made from rocks, for sure, and felt like it. It was heavy and clanky and when he finally managed to get the entire thing on he nearly fell over walking around the corner to show Sheik. The laugh it dragged from him though was well worth the trouble. He’d never actually seen Sheik full on laugh, to the point it shook his body, and he was doing that now. He wrapped an arm around his waist, laughed light and carefree and even had tears gathering in his eyes. He breathed deep, letting out a breath of air to get better control of himself and looked to Link. 

“That is ridiculous. Can you even move?” 

“Yes.” He said confidently and then stumbled as he walked forward. “Possibly.” 

“There must be a better way, actually how about I go catch plenty of lizards while you change and we’ll just chug Fireproof Elixirs?” 

“Yeah, yeah, you do that.” He braced himself on the wall, heard Sheik laugh again and then the Shiekah was gone, vanishing into the shadows seemingly. Link changed his clothes behind the rock, tugging on the Hylian Tunic and trousers but keeping the hood in the pack. He left his hair in the bun just to keep it off of his neck but stored away the rest of the Sheikah Armor supplies. Downing another Fireproof Elixir he stood back up and pulled everything back onto his body. 

When he went back out to find Sheik he appeared next to Link with a bag of Fireproof Lizards in his hand. Link took it, slipped it into the pack and they continued on the path toward Goron City. They seemed to get a break finally as the walk there wasn’t nearly as bad as the trail had been. They crossed the gates to Goron City and let out a breath of air. "Alright, find a shrine, then we're going back to Hateno and sleeping there. We can start a new day here tomorrow." That sounded like a great idea, Link wasn't arguing with that plan. Even though he's sure they have an inn he doubts it's cold. Like sleeping in a bed of lava. 

They used the Sheikah Slate to locate the shrine, apparently Sheik had pinned it when they were at the tower which was highly appreciated from Link. They found it easily and Link activated the terminal before vanishing down inside. He did the task as quickly as he could and collected another spirit orb before returning to the surface. Sheik was sitting with his back against the terminal, playing a song quietly on the Lyre. When Link appeared on the transporter the song stopped and he looked up at Link. 

“Did you get what you needed?” He nodded his head and Sheik stood, tucking the Lyre back behind him. “Great. Let’s return to Hateno for now and sleep, we’ll come back tomorrow to see what can be done about Vah Rudania.” He moved close to Link and took his arm in his own, letting Link maneuver the Sheikah Slate to open the shrine in Hateno and carry them over to it. The sun was setting at this point as they made their way across the bridge toward their house. Sheik unlocked the door, pushed it open and stepped inside. They lit the lanterns on the ceiling and Sheik vanished into the bathroom. 

He didn't take a bath, Link realized now that Sheik didn't wash his hair often but got annoyed if it went on for more than a week without it. Sometimes he'd make an exception to this, like if he got Chuchu jelly in it, but he tried not to wash his hair often just his body. He came back out in the same shirt he'd taken from Link before and a pair of trousers, running a brush through his hair. Link took his turn, did shower to get rid of the sweat and changed into an extra pair of clothes. He came back out, cooked them something to eat and sat down at the table. 

"The plan the same as normal?"

"Mhm, find the Goron Leader, they call their head Boss, and ask about Vah Rudania. They shouldn't give us a hard time, the Goron are kind people. Honestly, the only real difficulty I can think of is that heat and the threat of lava. You'll probably be paragliding over a lot of it." Meaning he either would be leaving Sheik behind or using Revali's Gale a lot. 

He gave a small hum and tapped the side of his face. "Well, I'm still taking you with me so we'll figure it out. How'd you get around the Fire Temple to teach the Hero of Time the song?" 

"Sheer will of strength. I could literally feel my blood boiling me alive." That sounded incredibly uncomfortable. "For the most part though I scaled the walls and jumped. I can jump fairly far." Far wasn't dening it, Sheik practically catapulted himself when he jumped. It was probably why he never tried to carry much on himself, he knows it'll weigh him down. With what he has on him he can correctly measure his weight verses his strength and how far he can jump. Changing that even the slightest bit would off balance him and probably end tragically. 

"Hmm, we saw that it was mostly stone though, you'll probably be able to jump over the lava." 

"Probably." He admitted, pushing his empty plate aside. "Sometimes though if I can't judge it right I won't risk it."

"And when that happens just rely on me." He smiles, confidently he hopes. Sheik huffs out an amused and Link thought fond, laugh. "We work as a team, Sheik, and we can do it. You've helped me through two Divine Beasts, this time I'm not leaving you behind and you're not a burden." 

"Didn't think I was." He shrugged and looked to Link's eyes. "I was just devising the best war plan and that would be it. You'd be quicker on your own." 

He could counter argue that but if it did take him long to get back to Sheik and paraglide him over that might consume more time than he thought. But, in the end, the two of them taking on the Divine Beast would be all around quicker. Sheik thought fast on his feet and was a strong fighter. At the end he would rather take longer to do a task than fight alone and risk dying. "Speed doesn't matter if it results in a loss in the end." Is what he settles on and the look he gets is definitely one of fondness. 

"Fair point. At this rate a loss doesn't just affect us but Princess Zelda and all of Hyrule. You did say she said she was at the end of her limit..." he trailed off when the house darkened and a red glow filled the windows. It painted the walls the same color as Sheik's eyes, a haunting color that blended in with them. Sheik stood and Link followed, making their way to the window by the door and looking up at the sky. 

"Blood moon. Have you seen one? I think they happen once a month." Glancing to Sheik he caught the other nodding his head. 

"Few times, the first time you were asleep. You can sleep through some pretty incredible things." He didn't know if that was an insult or a compliment. "It happened a few days after I woke up here. I assume you know what it means?" 

Link took a step back and motioned to the window. "Princess Zelda told me the first time it happened, it's when Ganon's power escapes her grip too much and he's at his strongest. He uses the blood moon to return the defeated monsters of the world to right where they were. So those enemies we just faught, the Guardian, they'll be right back where they were." 

"That's irritating." Link snorted and covered his mouth, snickering. "At the very least it happened now before we returned to Goron City." 

"Yeah! We'll have more time to take on Vah Rudania." He spins and looks back to Sheik, a smile on his face. "Now, let me take care of your burn from the Guardian." 

They ended up upstairs and Link directed Sheik to sit on the edge of the bed. He put together a salve from the ingredients they collected from the Korok Forest and other stray ingredients he had. Link mixed it together in a grinder, grabbed a roll of bandages and turned to Sheik on the bed. He moved over in front of him and knelt down, placing the paste on the floor beside him. “Alright, take your shirt off, Sheik.” 

Sheik gave a sigh and averted his gaze, hands gripping the end of the shirt he had on. “I’m telling you this is pointless, I drank the potion.” 

“Humor me.” 

Sheik relented and tugged his shirt off over his head, setting it aside on the bed. There was a circular eight inch burn mark in the center of Sheik’s chest that had crusted over with dried blood and started to scab. He was right in the fact that the potion had taken care of the worst of it, but Link could still do something to help it along the way and prevent infection. He was sure the potion numbed the pain too and when that wore off it’d start to hurt again. 

He picked the salve up, got a good bit on his fingers and then reached up to begin smearing it over the burn on Sheik’s chest. Sheik flinched at the touch and sucked a pain breath in between his teeth and forced his body to still. Link finished quickly and then pulled his hand back, wiping the extra on a cloth and picking up the bandages. He stood to his feet and placed himself between Sheik’s legs to get close enough to wrap the bandage around his back and over his chest. He was careful as he did it, not wanting to hurt Sheik more than he had to. 

Finishing quickly Link secured the bandaged in the front and tucked it in so it was out of the way. “There, how does it feel?” He lifted his gaze to look down at Sheik and met his eyes. 

“I’m okay, really. Thank you though, for everything.” 

Link sighed softly and reached both his hands up, taking hold of Sheik’s face. “Just because you’re used to pain doesn’t mean that you need to be in it. It’s alright to get help sometimes, you know. You would have done the same for me.” 

The smile he gets is one he wants to commit to memory, forever have it shined on him and only for the two of them. It’s soft, the kind of smile that just makes someone feel warm when it’s directed at them. His breath catches in his throat, gaze fixated on the eyes boring into his own. Link feels Sheik’s hands settle against his hips. “You’re right, I would, that and anything else I possibly could for you.” The hands on his hips squeezed gently and Link feared that he was going to pull away again and the moment would once again be lost for another slim chance. 

Gently with the hands that held Sheik’s face tugged him closer instead. Link leaned down to him, their gazes still holding each other captive. “Sheik, you like me, don’t you?” He can feel the stutter in Sheik’s pulse with his hands resting over the vein on his neck. There’s a shift in his breathing, a sudden intake of breath, but he doesn’t look away. He takes his chance while it’s still there and continues, his voice kept low as a promise just for them to hear. “I like you.” 

Sheik blinks and Link feels his hands twitch against his hips, the pace of his pulse increasing. His eyes widen the slightest bit and turns his gaze away, his head twisting more into Link’s hand as he refuses to let him go. “I figured, at some point. You were being fairly obvious. But I had wondered…” he trailed off and Link put pressure on his face with his right hand to get Sheik to look back up at him. Their eyes met again and Link waited patiently for him to finish his thoughts. “I’m the only person you spend prolonged amounts of time with. I wondered if that affected your feelings.” 

It was a fair thought. Link had amnesia, he couldn’t remember if he had a partner a hundred years ago, if he had been married, where he came from. The only person he could say he knew was Sheik. Yet, he didn’t think what Sheik assumed was true. He didn’t think that affected his feelings at all. He knew the people of Kakariko, he was friends with Paya he thought, and he’d honestly say what he felt with Sheik was different than when he was around Paya or the others. 

He just needed to convey that to Sheik. Letting Sheik’s face go he reached his right hand down and took Sheik’s wrist, pulling his hand from his waist. Raising both their connected hands up he pressed Sheik’s palm over his heart and held it there against his chest. “I realized I liked you when you told me you believed in me, and I understood then that I’d liked you for a while before that.” Sheik’s breath caught and Link continued. “My heart races when you’re around, when I hold you close and when I watch you. I like having you here with me and I’m worried a lot that you’re just going to be gone one day.” He doesn’t want Sheik to leave him but it’s a genuine fear considering Sheik wasn’t of this time, nor a normal person. He was a Sage of the Sacred Realm. Would that role call him back one day? The thought terrified him. 

“I know what I feel, and I know that it has to be you.” Link smiles softly, wraps his fingers around Sheik’s hand, holding him close to his heart. “I like you, Sheik.” 

Honestly he hadn’t thought this through, he didn’t know what to do next or say and he couldn’t even predict Sheik’s reaction. He had just felt the moment and took it while he could, hoping to convey across everything that he felt so that at the very least he had said it. So that Sheik had heard him and if there was a chance, for anything to be reciprocated, he could have it. He was so sure that Sheik liked him back he dived in head first but that didn’t mean he had to return Link’s confession. 

He could feel himself grow nervous the longer he stood there with Sheik watching him, those red eyes full of such an intensity he dared not look away. He’s not sure what Sheik’s thinking, what conclusion he’s reached. Sheik’s the most eloquent person with words when it comes to anything other than himself but when it comes to his own feelings and personal issues he goes quiet on Link. It’s worrying, in this moment, the lack of communication and the pure silence. It takes all the courage he has to keep standing there. 

Then Sheik moves. He leans himself up and presses his lips to Link’s forehead, startling him and sending his heart skyrocketing. It’s different then the kisses they shared before, the meaning behind it was something else entirely. Which proved him right along with what Sheik muttered against his skin. “I like you too.” 

His body moved before he even finished processing those words, hands grasping at Sheik’s face and tilting his head upward. Their lips met again, a kiss that finally conveyed everything they felt for each other instead of wildly confusing emotions. Nudging him back a bit Link moved his body from standing between Sheik to sliding up onto his lap, his legs straddling Sheik’s waist. It was easier this way and Link found he rather liked being in Sheik’s lap. 

“Sheik.” Link mumbled his words against the others lips, feeling a quiet hum against his own. “I really want to touch you.” 

A huff of amused laughter and Sheik drags him up closer to him on the bed. “Then do it.” 


End file.
